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

[Diva Canto]

+1
enough with Greek letters already!

On 6/16/2014 2:18 PM, Justin Clark-Casey wrote:
> 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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>>
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