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Subject: Re: How did "beta-test" get it's name?

Author: Jeroen van Dorp

Date: 15:03:18 03/12/03

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The letter Beta in Greek was derived from the Phoenician language, where it was
a B-consonant or Beth. In very early alphabets there were no vowels. The
consonants should represent part of speach, to define the spoken language in
written form.


The term Alpha (inhouse) testing and Beta (outhouse) testing comes from IBM in
the '60's IIRC. These were defined milestones in the production process.

Earlier on there were also A-tests, B-tests and C-tests. The A-test was the
feasibility test of the product, B was what we now call Alpha and C-testing is
now Betatesting.
Nice to know that there was also a D-test, a test after the product had been in
producttion for some time.

J.




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