INTERACT FORUM

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: How can we be beta testers on non working software?  (Read 1709 times)

Gregg D

  • Guest
How can we be beta testers on non working software?
« on: March 20, 2002, 04:32:25 am »

I am curious.  I have seeen lots of people sending in error reports.  My own MJ won't work longer than 2-3 minutes.  AS soon as I do anything on the computer it shuts MJ down.   Yet, I see no advioce no fixes or any real acknowledgement of the problem.  What's up?
Logged

Badger

  • Guest
RE:How can we be beta testers on non working software?
« Reply #1 on: March 20, 2002, 05:41:18 am »

I think you answered your own question.  You have to post an error "report" with as much information as you can regarding your system, and what other processes you're trying to kick off when MJ hangs. Most of these reports are posted in the thread where the latest build of the beta software is made available for download.  This seems to be how bugs are communicated, prioritized and then worked on for the next beta release.
Logged

claudio

  • Regular Member
  • Galactic Citizen
  • ****
  • Posts: 265
RE:How can we be beta testers on non working software?
« Reply #2 on: March 20, 2002, 05:49:23 am »

You may have started with a particular evil build or you may have a specific system problem on your pc. I'm on 227 (I've not installed the latest since I use DSP and that functionaly is broken in the latest) and have been using 8.x for a while without anything even close to what you are reporting. Try a clean unistall, and maybe a registry cleanup, and then see if this continues in the next couple of builds.

Claudio
Logged

Gregg D

  • Guest
RE:How can we be beta testers on non working software?
« Reply #3 on: March 20, 2002, 05:49:26 am »

Yea, I get all that.  I am just curious as to lack of acknowledgement of what seems to be a serious bug.  Also, I have really gotten used to MJ and love it.  Now 5 minutes with out it and I'm a lost soul.
Logged

Gatobrit

  • Regular Member
  • Citizen of the Universe
  • *****
  • Posts: 575
  • Home Theatre, Walking, Fischer Bitter
RE:How can we be beta testers on non working software?
« Reply #4 on: March 20, 2002, 05:54:31 am »

Badger - to be honest Gregg D has posted the problem to a couple of other threads. It sounds like he's really annoyed and frustrated.

Gregg D - if MJ is so important to you keep a copy of a "good" beta as backup. That way you can report the issue you have discovered (as a beta-tester that's your job) and install the older version to continue listening.

We are testing. The word implies that we may find something that doesn't work every now and again (indeed, that's our job), and once in a while something that stops the whole thing from working for us.

If you don't want the job then stick with a beta you can live with and wait until the beta program ends or go back to 7.2.280 and live with that for a while.

Downloading the latest beta right away is always a risk - 229 came out yesterday (I downloaded it) and within 30 minutes it was replaced by 230 - I don't know why but I downloaded that and it appears (to me) to be pretty good. So it goes.

If you want to see if a bug you have is resolved in the latest beta wait around for 12 hours and look at the thread to see if there are any major blazes. Then download and try it yourself.

I know. I am trying to teach a lot of Grandmothers to suck eggs but sometimes I think it needs stating.
Logged
Namaste,
John

cepler

  • Guest
RE:How can we be beta testers on non working software?
« Reply #5 on: March 20, 2002, 05:54:51 am »

I'd rather have them working on the problems than replying to posts.  But I agree it can be frustrating sometimes. Next Page  My MJ8 doesn't work now and I even tried 7.2 and can't get that to install/run under XP now so I'm sorta outta luck and just using WinAmp for now. *sigh*  Oh well. Next Page
Logged

Severian

  • Guest
RE:How can we be beta testers on non working software?
« Reply #6 on: March 20, 2002, 06:13:58 am »

Somebody ought to post the definitive guide to unscrewing your system and returning to 7.2 after an 8.x beta test. I myself have successfully gone back and forth between 7.2 and 8.x a few times under XP, even after encountering a host of problems like can't-create-registration-control and all that, that we've all seen flying around here. Chris, did you try just flat-out deleting your JRiver directory? I think that was what got me over the hump last time.

MAYBE what needs to happen instead of that is that the next 'feature' that gets worked on in 8.x is an uninstall routine that really works, if such a thing is possible. Uninstall should mean that my system is where it was before I installed: No files remaining in the directory structure, no directory structure period, DLLs unregistered, dereferenced, and deleted, and ALL REGISTRY ENTRIES REMOVED.
Logged

dodger

  • Guest
RE:How can we be beta testers on non working software?
« Reply #7 on: March 20, 2002, 06:25:31 am »

>"MAYBE what needs to happen instead of that is that the next 'feature' that gets worked on in 8.x is an uninstall routine that really works, if such a thing is possible. Uninstall should mean that my system is where it was before I installed: No files remaining in the directory structure, no directory structure period, DLLs unregistered, dereferenced, and deleted, and ALL REGISTRY ENTRIES REMOVED"

If that was technically possible, don't you think JRiver would have done this by now?
It is impossible to write a program (at least in any reaonable time) that goes backward in time.
After all, is your car ever the same after you drive it?
Logged

Gregg D

  • Guest
RE:How can we be beta testers on non working software?
« Reply #8 on: March 20, 2002, 06:26:43 am »

YEs your right  am real frustrated.  I understand that is a beta and that is our job.  I'm ok with that.  However, a complete shutdown of my program is not what I expected.  I tried downloading what I thought was 227 but it seems to always install 8.0.3  So, I guess I'll get out my back up tape and see if I can roll it back.  As I said the major beef I have and still have is the lack of acknowledgement that 1. there is actually a serious bug & 2.  We know about it and we are going to fix it.   Soon.  Next Page
Logged

Gatobrit

  • Regular Member
  • Citizen of the Universe
  • *****
  • Posts: 575
  • Home Theatre, Walking, Fischer Bitter
RE:How can we be beta testers on non working software?
« Reply #9 on: March 20, 2002, 06:38:09 am »

Gregg D - yes, acknowledgement of your issue is important. ChrisEpler has a point - acknowledging all the posts / issues would be a major job though.
Logged
Namaste,
John

Severian

  • Guest
RE:How can we be beta testers on non working software?
« Reply #10 on: March 20, 2002, 06:42:12 am »

>>If that was technically possible, don't you think JRiver would have done this by now?
>>It is impossible to write a program (at least in any reaonable time) that goes backward in time.
>>After all, is your car ever the same after you drive it?

Programs aren't cars. You're obviously not a programmer, because it certainly is technically possible. It's also technically possible to have a bug-free program, so by that line of reasoning, should I start harrassing them for not doing that? Give me a break.

You clearly don't remember the good old days where you'd just delete a directory, and that was your uninstall routine. Those days are upon us again with .NET, by the way. The people who make programs like CleanSweep would be out of a job if what you're saying were true. Perhaps you should bring a lawsuit against them for false advertising.
Logged

Badger

  • Guest
RE:How can we be beta testers on non working software?
« Reply #11 on: March 20, 2002, 06:43:11 am »

I think as a beta tester, you can't expect the software to work, or really expect quick responses to your problems. All you can do is report the problems.  That's why I am sitting on the sidelines.  A "major beef" just doesn't hold any water here because the software is beta.  If you read the reports, there are dozens of major problems.  Use 7.2 for "production" and 8.0 for testing.
Logged

dave

  • Guest
RE:How can we be beta testers on non working software?
« Reply #12 on: March 20, 2002, 07:01:18 am »

>"ChrisEpler has a point - acknowledging all the posts / issues would be a major job though"

How many attempts would it take to build a post acknowledgement system?
And would you want to volunteer to beta test such a system?
It is probably just as hard to write a good post acknowledgement system as it is to write a good jukebox; maybe harder.
Logged

Gregg D

  • Guest
RE:How can we be beta testers on non working software?
« Reply #13 on: March 20, 2002, 08:06:21 am »

I think some of the comments are a bit unrealistic.  No one expects error free beta software.  However, we are using this software to try and bring out the bugs & errors as well as make suggestions.  Perhaps it is J River's own fault that I have such high expectations of them.  They (or you all) almost always answer you questions right away.  If I was dealing with Microsoft or Symantec I would not expect an answer for a month or two.  But these guy's have always have been right there for us.  Since there is no tech support number, or email address this is all I have.  So yes, I do expect an answer or some sort of feedback, even though the is (or was anyway) great.  

I can not roll back to version 7 because that does not take advantage of the ratings system and smart lists the way I want.  

One great suggestion was a diffinitive guide to deleting and re installing an older version.  Can we still download version 8.0.22?
Logged

claudio

  • Regular Member
  • Galactic Citizen
  • ****
  • Posts: 265
RE:How can we be beta testers on non working software?
« Reply #14 on: March 20, 2002, 08:47:27 am »

Hi Gregg,

I believe I still have 8.222 in my download folder (I always try to keep a couple of versions for rollback . If you send me mail (see profile) I can point you to it for a temporary download

Claudio
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up