[Opensim-dev] Another bit of input on alpha/beta

[Justin Clark-Casey]

This wasn't well publicised but some time back I was prevailed upon to drop the "alpha" tag.  You'll notice that it's 
not in the release notes or in other related material anymore.

However, I would still feel very uncomfortable calling OpenSimulator "beta".  To me, beta does imply completion of a 
known set of features.  As others have said later on in this thread, the target is moving.  Some features are fairly 
mature, others are still fresh, others have yet to be dreamed up.

I also think it promises a higher level of reliability than I feel that we currently have.  All in all, I don't think 
that it's a useful tag and more a marketing term than something useful.

The next talking point becomes "1.0".  I continue to think that we are a pretty long way off that.  Also, not being 
"1.0" has not done some significant projects any harm, such as node.js (0.10.28).  I would rather underpromise and 
overdeliver than the other way around.

On 12/06/14 17:02, steve l wrote:
>
> Hi there,
>
> I am not really anybody, just a user of OpenSim. I will give you some of my thoughts.
>
> I watch OpenSim very carefully and run 6 little servers with various versions on them. Yes OS has it's issues, but I
> think it is ready for prime time in many many ways.
>
> As for it's alpha status-that shocked me. OS is way beyond alpha in my opinion. If you are going to debate alpha/ beta I
> think that one is already over. OS is way beyond alpha. In my opinion you should just go to version 1 and get it over
> with. All good software is a work in progress. OS is software that works very well in most ways.
>
> Justin I know will fight tooth and nail to keep it back to pre version 1. Justin is a perfectionist and wants it to be
> perfect before it hits final release. I understand that and he does have a good point. The thing is that you are
> constantly adding features to it and that adds bugs to it. My feeling is to decide what will be a core OS and get that
> core to a point of working well and call the core version 1.0. I think that basically OpenSim is already there. All you
> have to decide is what constitutes the core.
>
> The other thing here is public perception. Most of the world looks at an alpha piece of software and says- "No way! It's
> alpha! It will mess up my computer!" Even Beta software has that stigma attached to it. The public thinks it either it
> doesn't work well or will mess up their machine. I know better. I have used OS for a long time. It is a good, well
> designed virtual world server. Yes it crashes sometimes. But all in all I think it is a better thing overall than any
> version of Windows. Especially the earlier versions. Nobody remembers Windows before version 3.1. Think about it. You
> really need to leap to the Version 1.0 ASAP. Your public needs that.
>
> If you want to add on more features, by all means! In my opinion features should be modular add-ons to the core product.
> Kind of like Firefox does with their add-ons. They can be there but chosen in a .ini file as they are now. You might
> even think of releasing a basic core version that starts as such and a full feature version that has more things turned
> on when it is installed. Think about the different versions of Sin-On-A-Stick. You can choose how many regions you have
> in the beginning- very user friendly!
>
> You guys have a really good thing that you have created. You have put many thousands of hours into it. It is being used
> by tons of people in all kinds of environments. Some of those environments are very high level. OpenSimulator deserves
> to be at version 1. If you don't someone will just fork it and call theirs that. Then everyone will think that the
> forked version is the real version. Then you guys will be left in the dust. Marketing is everything! Just ask Bill Gates
> and guys at Apple!
>
> That is my 2 cents!
>
> Steve LaVigne
> AngelFire Productions, Inc.
>
>
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>


-- 
Justin Clark-Casey (justincc)
OSVW Consulting
http://justincc.org
http://twitter.com/justincc