Computer Chess Club Archives


Search

Terms

Messages

Subject: Re: Beta-Testers

Author: Jay Urbanski

Date: 11:57:14 12/24/05

Go up one level in this thread


On December 24, 2005 at 13:29:16, Rolf Tueschen wrote:

>Hi all,
>
>I have observed that people are busy in testing Rybka like bees produce their
>honey. From 50 years ago I still know for sure that as a Beta-tester you get a
>free thing of the tested software. Now my simple question. If you testers had to
>pay to the author of Rybka, why in hell you still are testing this commercial
>product. Is it masochism or something I dont know yet?
>
>I must admit that it's a fair deal to test a program like Crafty, but Crafty is
>Free Software. So, it's like LINUX. But why the same people who spit on
>Microsoft and who would never test MS products do now test a commercial program
>for free.
>
>Could someone clarify this? Or is it the truth that you all get 50 US $$ for
>your testing? Or 100$$?
>
>
>WHAT is the deal?


I'm a beta tester, and I paid for Rybka - and I'd be happy to explain why.  I
bought Rybka as soon as the preview was available for two reasons:


1.  I wish to support Vasik in his further development of the engine.
2.  Even as a buggy beta with no SMP support it was (is) the strongest engine on
the planet.

I became a beta tester after I reported some bugs and he added me as a beta
tester.  However even had I been a beta tester first I would have paid for the
engine eventually in order to do #1 above.

Why do I spend my own time to help development of a commercial project?  Easy -
I'm a user of the engine and I would like it to work well.  I use a variety of
GUIs for online play and as such I often experience bugs that others do not.
Simple self-interest.




This page took 0 seconds to execute

Last modified: Thu, 15 Apr 21 08:11:13 -0700

Current Computer Chess Club Forums at Talkchess. This site by Sean Mintz.