Why are some websites in beta for a long time?

Question

Duplicate: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/344932/why-is-stack-overflow-still-in-public-beta

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Why do websites like Gmail or Stack Overflow say that they are beta?

If they are 'in use' by the general public, why do they claim to be in "beta" or "public beta"?

Answer 1

Ever since the Web 2.0 trend hit, it seems like BETA has become a code-word for something that is new and hip and on the cusp of the newest technology.

I can understand if the system is still in BETA or if there is to be an expectation of lots of things not working the way you plan for in the future, or if you know you will be making major changes in the future, but the term seems to be so overused now on the web for pure marketing reasons than for anything else.

Answer 2

One reason why SO may still be Beta is because one its primary components, ASP.NET-MVC, is still in Beta.

Answer 3

I think it's a terminology thing. To me, it means three things:

1. It is still a work in progress, not a final product.
2. Users are supposed to expect the occasional bug and report it. (As opposed to cry about it, throw something across the room, or call a lawyer.)
3. User feedback is expected and welcome (not ignored and seen as "complaining").

Also, take a look at this question for some speculation about SO's "public beta".

Answer 4

Kind of an answer from one of the creators of this site:

http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/001207.html

Short version: It takes time, so why rush into release? And in beta, you have a good excuse for any errors that may appear.

Answer 5

I think it is a way to try and garner more community support and activism. Just look at the open source community's general acceptance of google, and look at uservoice and the SO community.

It makes people feel like they can be a part of the site and somehow guide changes and directions in the site's updates.

In reality it probably isn't worth a thing, but hey perception is everything right?

Answer 6

Many times BETA has been used to set lower expectations. It is a way to Under Promise / Over Deliver. It also may mean that there is no support for the product, but feedback is encouraged.

Answer 7

According to a Google spokesman:

We have very high internal metrics our consumer products have to meet before coming out of beta. Our teams continue to work to improve these products and provide users with an even better experience. We believe beta has a different meaning when applied to applications on the Web, where people expect continual improvements in a product. On the Web, you don't have to wait for the next version to be on the shelf or an update to become available. Improvements are rolled out as they're developed. Rather than the packaged, stagnant software of decades past, we're moving to a world of regular updates and constant feature refinement where applications live in the cloud.

Answer 8

In Gmail's case, I think it is just an excuse if there are ever any problems.

Answer 9

O'Riley had some good thoughts on this: http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html?page=4

Its whats called a Perpetual Beta. It allows a company to keep "up to date" and "release new features" without fully testing them.

Answer 10

I am not a lawyer, but to my knowledge, the BETA Tag also protects the host from some legal charges in case of data loss etc.

But then again: Web 2.0 is essentially Pastel Colors + AJAX + a Beta Badge + having users supply content.