How Well Do You Know Beta Testing?

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Chances are you have probably been part of a beta test. Beta testing is commonly used by developers to test their projects. However; it is not the only way beta testing is used. A common misconception about beta testing is that they are are all the same. Developers choose to beta test for different reasons. Some developers beta test to discover bugs while others want public opinion.

Google is a company that beta tests in a very different way. Google tends to keep its products in the beta stage until the product meets its strict standards. These standards are so strict that it can take months even years for products to leave the beta stage. One extreme example is Gmail. Gmail was launched in 2004, and it didn’t leave the beta stage until five years after! Another is Google Maps which recently left its beta stage February 2014.

Another common misconception is that beta testing is the only test developers do. Beta testing is actually subsequent to internal testing; also known as alpha testing. Beta testing is only used if the developer feels that the alpha testing is not enough. That is why not every project goes through beta testing. 

I am a firm believer that beta testing is essential for any product's success. The success of any product comes down providing the needs of the consumer and beta testing can make that possible. 

References

Schofield J. (2009, Jul 10). Gmail finally slips out of beta. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/technology/blog/2009/jul/07/gmail-out-of-beta

Why Prototyping Is A Must

A prototype is worth a thousand words. Projects big and small can benefit from a carefully drawn out prototype. A prototype can finalize the design before any actual development happens. This can save crucial time in the long run because it can avoid any late changes in the development process. Late changes can be costly and time consuming because that would mean some existing work would be thrown out completely. It can also streamline the project by reducing any confusion associated with how the final product might look.

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I recently started using paper prototypes to help me visualize my coding projects. This process has been helpful because it helps me breakdown each step. It has been especially helpful in a recent web development project. Our clients expected a brand new website, so we started off by creating a paper prototype. My team and I were able to create a final design in a matter of hours, and we ended up sticking to that same overall design throughout the project. 
I did not believe paper prototyping could help my programming until I started using it. A nicely designed prototype can predict the direction of the project much better than words can. That is why creating a concrete prototype can be so powerful.  I did not believe paper prototyping could help my programming until I started using it. A nicely designed prototype can predict the direction of the project much better than words can. That is why creating a concrete prototype can be so powerful. 

References

Usability Testing. Retrieved from http://www.usability.gov/how-to-and-tools/methods/usability-testing.html

Why blog?

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Blogging is a great way to share your voice with the world. It can give you the ability to spread ideas to people all around the world. One beneficial outcome of blogging is branding. Employers today tend to use the internet to scout out potential employees, so having a large footprint on the internet is important to stay competitive. Reading someone’s blog can tell you a lot about the person. It can show how well the blogger can write or even how the blogger might think.

Other people blog to educate others in ways mainstream media cannot. A good blog for programmers is Alfred Thompson's blog

(http://blog.acthompson.net/). Thompson is a computer science teacher that blogs about his opinions and tips on programming. At first it might seem a little bland, but he actually makes some interesting points. He talks about interesting topics you can only find in blogs like his.

There are also people who do it just for fun. I initially started this blog as a requirement for a class but it became much more than that. Writing became a form of expression for me. I was not expecting people to read my posts; it just felt good putting my thoughts down online. I am blogging now because I simply enjoy it and I hope you can find your own reason to blog.

References

Thompson, A. Computer Science Teacher. Retrieved from http://blog.acthompson.net/