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Weblog:   The Endless Beta
Subject:   Differences in Importance
Date:   2005-10-10 09:45:43
From:   F.J.
Response to: Differences in Importance

Hi!


First of all, thank you very much for taking the time to post, I really do appreciate it!


I agree with you that the nature of web services allows for easy silent upgrades and, therefore, makes the use of a solid versioning system seemingly irrelevant. However, modifying and upgrading applications without warning users has potential downsides — as recent issues with many services have shown — and the many synchronization problems that can exist over the Internet — notably because of caching and proxying — do call for solid references.


I also agree that there is nothing wrong with inviting users to participate in a "Beta" program. What worries me is that some applications seem intent to stay in "Beta" form for a long time, therefore diminishing their writer's responsibility — whether moral or legal. This, in itself, should be kept in mind by the community who wishes to rely on such services.


FJ
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  • Tom Bridge photo Differences in Importance
    2005-10-10 11:41:37  Tom Bridge | O'Reilly Blogger [Reply | View]

    Software makers are not exempt from responsibility here, nor have I found the makers of, say, Flickr, responsible for the length of their beta. I signed up for a service, I paid them for that service, and the service has, 99.9% of the time, lived up to exactly that billing. It's not that I expect less of services I pay for, it's having a degree of tolerance appropriate to the code.

    I pay nothing for Google Maps, or various other web services, how can I expect to have them beholden to me?
    • FJ de Kermadec photo Differences in Importance
      2005-10-12 03:09:20  FJ de Kermadec | O'Reilly Blogger [Reply | View]

      Hi again!

      This may sound very conservative but I consider that any service provider, even if the service is free, has a responsibility to its users. The responsibility may not be legal but, at the very least, it is moral.

      Having a degree of tolerance for a certain code is indeed essential. There is however a fine line between having tolerance (always needed) and accepting issues that should not be. Where we place that line is, obviously, up to us.

      FJ
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