On one development project years ago we included an alpha test, post QA, and pre-beta. We put the QAd system up and encouraged future users to try and break it. But we wanted to emphasize than problems were expected at this stage and their finding them was a good thing. A problem did not make us bad programmers or them bad users, but simply were something that at this stage were bound to exist and needed to be found by them and fixed by us. So we put big baskets of cookies in the test rooms and encouraged users to take a cookie every time they logged a problem. No there were no consequences for taking a cooking if you did not find a problem.
It worked! People actually came in and tested. And the cookies communicated that there were supposed to be problems and nobody badmouthed us when they found them.
I suspect there's a ton of pushback in the comments, but I got a kick out of professional troublemaker Nick Mamatas' post titled Let Us Put an End to Geek Pride. Such a shit-stirrer, Nick is.
I was with him right up until he said font choice doesn't matter. THEM'S FIGHTIN' WORDS.
Heh, Jessica.
Here's some Billytea bait:
[link]
Weird animal sex, as illustrated by human cartoons.
Ever wonder how the Eastland compares to the Titanic? [link]
What are people doing this weekend?
Tonight, I am planning to get shitfaced at a tweetup. Sometime this weekend there will be Cabin in the Woods. Other than that gardening and pie-baking.
So many things! But mostly: Not much! To-do items include getting a massage, going to Target, and seeing The Cabin in the Woods.
Sitting on the floor!
Because I have junk haulers coming in 30 mins to take away both of my couches.
