Looking for volunteers to test the Wedge private alpha!

The Burglar!

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Re: Looking for volunteers to test the Wedge private alpha!
« Reply #122, on January 16th, 2013, 05:34 PM »
1 - How long have you been a SMF user? (Approximately...)

Working on SMF since the first public beta (10 years ago), before that i was working on the yabbse project ;)

2 - If you're planning to use Wedge on a live forum, post its URL.

somewhere on the domain simpelmachines.nl/whatevername :P

3 - How much daily time you think you can devote to testing Wedge. (If you're planning to use it on a live forum, you can also rely on your users to help test it.) Please keep in mind that we'd like to keep the private alpha period relatively short (no more than a couple of weeks would be ideal), so I'm really asking about the next couple of weeks mainly. (Well, at least the first couple of weeks after the initial release.)

2 hours a day, have much other work

4 - Is there a feature in Wedge that you're most interested in? Something you'll focus your testing on, etc... Or just something you're just excited to use!

nah just wanna play around and see the things for myself


Arantor

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Re: Looking for volunteers to test the Wedge private alpha!
« Reply #123, on January 16th, 2013, 05:35 PM »
* Arantor would remind the people asking now that there are some major gaps in functionality, especially with respect to banning at the present time.

And to go back and perhaps read some of the other recent posts in this thread.
When we unite against a common enemy that attacks our ethos, it nurtures group solidarity. Trolls are sensational, yes, but we keep everyone honest. | Game Memorial

The Burglar!

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tumbleweed

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Re: Looking for volunteers to test the Wedge private alpha!
« Reply #125, on January 17th, 2013, 07:32 PM »
1 - How long have you been a SMF user? (Approximately...)
My first post at SMF
SMF 1.x Support / Unable to access Features and Options
« on: September 08, 2006, 07:28:24 PM »

2 - If you're planning to use Wedge on a live forum, post its URL.
will update...

3 - How much daily time you think you can devote to testing Wedge. (If you're planning to use it on a live forum, you can also rely on your users to help test it.) Please keep in mind that we'd like to keep the private alpha period relatively short (no more than a couple of weeks would be ideal), so I'm really asking about the next couple of weeks mainly. (Well, at least the first couple of weeks after the initial release.)
Internal testing with current SMF website owners.

4 - Is there a feature in Wedge that you're most interested in? Something you'll focus your testing on, etc... Or just something you're just excited to use!
Wedge in general


dwc

  • Posts: 29
Re: Looking for volunteers to test the Wedge private alpha!
« Reply #126, on January 17th, 2013, 08:58 PM »
I know this thread is in regards to alpha testing, and I apologize if I'm getting ahead of myself, but I'd like to throw my hat in for beta testing when it comes around.  I can test it as a user, and if at some point given read access, I can pour through code during my spare time to get up to speed on the architecture, and complain about stuff that doesn't look right, or to help with documentation.  I'm very busy with my projects, but I am very interested in this project, and have faith in Arantor and Nao to deliver, so I'm willing to try and get involved more -- at least in reading posts and commenting.

1 - How long have you been a SMF user?
Since 2010.

2 - If you're planning to use Wedge on a live forum, post its URL.
http://conservativepoliticalforum.com

3 - How much daily time you think you can devote to testing Wedge.
1-5 hours per week.

4 - Is there a feature in Wedge that you're most interested in? Something you'll focus your testing on, etc... Or just something you're just excited to use!
So far, it looks like the current alpha features would suffice.

5 - If you're a hot young lady, post a picture of you, preferably on a boat (in front of a boat is also acceptable), or in an administration building's waiting line.
Hot chicks in IT are like Bigfoot -- I'm not saying they don't exist, I've just never seen one.

Raifal

  • Posts: 3
Re: Looking for volunteers to test the Wedge private alpha!
« Reply #127, on January 18th, 2013, 01:44 AM »Last edited on January 18th, 2013, 11:54 AM
Quote from Nao on October 22nd, 2012, 05:27 PM
1 - How long have you been a SMF user?
As an administrator, never, as a member probably a few years on an irregular basis. I did read the first post but given my high level of interest in Wedge - I figured it could be useful to have a fresh pair of eyes on the software without a bunch of pre-conceived notions of how SMF worked/works.

In addition, I used to be quite heavy into the development side of forums a long time ago (I don't know how long you guys go back?) and whilst I got out of that game an equally long time ago due to a mixture of politics and changes, my rusty eyes will have no problem examining the innards without being rebuffed. I'm also well versed in the general things you note in your post so there's no worry with regards to messing with phpmyadmin and the like,
Quote from Nao on October 22nd, 2012, 05:27 PM
2 - If you're planning to use Wedge on a live forum, post its URL.
I have run (past & present) successful, high traffic, high usercount community sites, my intention is to have Wedge running as the forum of an upcoming project based on the same methodology and expect it to do as well if not exceed my current offerings. Since the heavy lifting for the site itself will be done by another set of software, my intention is to populate the Wedge Alpha with trusted, motivated team and community members from the current sites and use it to communicate, order work and use the featureset whilst we lay the groundwork before launching the site to the public.

My apologies for being so ambiguous but the new site has yet to be announced and I'd prefer to keep it on the low for the time being, I'd be happy to share my current and future projects with either the developers or the (presumably) small group of testers you currently have if you saw fit to include me.
Quote from Nao on October 22nd, 2012, 05:27 PM
3 - How much daily time you think you can devote to testing Wedge.
As I said before, Wedge will at the very least be used to co-ordinate something that I will be essentially entirely devoting myself to for a long time to come. As such it will be used by myself and the others I described throughout the day on a daily basis for the foreseeable future, so I suppose the answer to  your question is: a lot and in a lot of ways.

I recognise that Wedge is not ready for primetime or a production site, but the timing is perfect for what I need it for at present. I see no reason why it couldn't run in tandem with the site even post-launch for staffers and select members, which is something I'd personally like to do in order to stay alongside and assist in the development of Wedge going forward.

Either way, it will continue to be tested by myself privately regardless.
Quote from Nao on October 22nd, 2012, 05:27 PM
4 - Is there a feature in Wedge that you're most interested in?
I'm frankly tired of the "premium" software I've been using blindly for a decade and I'm ready for something different. Believe me when I say that I did a lot of research to familiarise myself with the current state of play in your world before I began lurking (and then registering) here. I looked at a lot of software before making this reply.

I can't really vocalise anything specific but I'm quite excited by what I've seen so far and I'm very eager to dive in. I find the potential business model Arantor mentioned on another site interesting and possibly revolutionary when paired with your plugin system, however this has less to do with the software itself. I believe my intentioned use for the Alpha will allow me to see all aspects of your baby and as a result produce actionable feedback from me to you.
Quote from Nao on October 22nd, 2012, 05:27 PM
5 - If you're a hot young lady, post a picture of you, preferably on a boat.
My lady has what I'm assured are known as "da mad hook-ups" with some very popular rock/metal bands, think of the connections and photo ops associated with that!

I understand that the current Alpha up for download is older and less functional but I'd love to get my hands on it anyway to get a grasp of things before the new one later in the month, hopefully you can see my unbridled desire to get in on the ground floor here and give me the badge so that I can get started and get involved.

Arantor

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dwc

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Raifal

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Re: Looking for volunteers to test the Wedge private alpha!
« Reply #130, on January 19th, 2013, 12:26 AM »
Quote from Arantor on January 18th, 2013, 06:13 AM
I would also remind everyone of what I said in http://wedge.org/pub/7623/looking-for-volunteers-to-test-the-wedge-private-alpha/msg284142/#msg284142

Ignore any $2 mentions for now, that's a known bug.
You're right of course, but I laid myself pretty bare in my post - I'm not really sure how extra participation on the forum will change your mind about me if you've already deemed my application uninspiring.

If I felt that I could contribute in a meaningful way without having access to the alpha then I'd agree, but anyone can spend time replying to every thread to try to gain your trust, I'd prefer to have the ability to provide some meat to those replies and that will be infinitely more useful to the both of us.

Arantor

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Re: Looking for volunteers to test the Wedge private alpha!
« Reply #131, on January 19th, 2013, 12:32 AM »
I haven't even really looking at the applications thus far, if I'm honest. I just saw that a bunch of people had posted, I just reiterated what I'd already said.

The last few days I've been wrangling with a lot of stuff, some of which has been laid bare >_<

But a lot of what I've said still stands - I would personally rather have people who contribute along the way and demonstrate a commitment to contribute rather than who request access to test it as it was at a fixed milestone; if you're just interested in seeing the software... we run it right here. There's little that an alpha could show you that you can't see here, because pretty much every new feature that's in Wedge and not in SMF is visible here, either from screenshots or it's user facing.

If you're seeing it as 'just replying to every thread', you've missed the point somewhat, I feel. It's not about gaining trust, it's demonstrating some commitment to actually contribute meaningful feedback - as you may or may not have noticed, already several people who got access didn't bother to reply much, not even to say 'hey, still here just busy'.

I deliberately go out and ask for feedback as new things get added, to gauge what users want and how beneficial it will be to them.

Raifal

  • Posts: 3
Re: Looking for volunteers to test the Wedge private alpha!
« Reply #132, on January 19th, 2013, 12:41 AM »Last edited on January 19th, 2013, 12:48 AM
Quote from Arantor on January 19th, 2013, 12:32 AM
I haven't even really looking at the applications thus far, if I'm honest. I just saw that a bunch of people had posted, I just reiterated what I'd already said.

The last few days I've been wrangling with a lot of stuff, some of which has been laid bare >_<

But a lot of what I've said still stands - I would personally rather have people who contribute along the way and demonstrate a commitment to contribute rather than who request access to test it as it was at a fixed milestone; if you're just interested in seeing the software... we run it right here. There's little that an alpha could show you that you can't see here, because pretty much every new feature that's in Wedge and not in SMF is visible here, either from screenshots or it's user facing.

If you're seeing it as 'just replying to every thread', you've missed the point somewhat, I feel. It's not about gaining trust, it's demonstrating some commitment to actually contribute meaningful feedback - as you may or may not have noticed, already several people who got access didn't bother to reply much, not even to say 'hey, still here just busy'.

I deliberately go out and ask for feedback as new things get added, to gauge what users want and how beneficial it will be to them.
I guess I've just been behind the scenes on forum alphas/betas and saw them through to release too many times to understand purposeful denial of access to a likeminded individual. Apologies for my abrasiveness, I realise that you can't possibly intimate such information from a new member's posts.

It's your baby so I have no rights and I (believe me) understand the type of person you describe, but I hope you can empathise that as someone who knows he is not one of those people; the frustration of throwing my name into a hat and hoping to be noticed via posting a lot. I'm sure that comes across as inappropriately forceful from the lips of a new entry but I'm nothing if not honest and forthright.

In my mind it's not a question of why I want access in order to provide feedback of a good standard, rather why not?

Arantor

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Re: Looking for volunteers to test the Wedge private alpha!
« Reply #133, on January 19th, 2013, 12:43 AM »
Nah, there's nothing inappropriately forceful there at all. I can understand where you're coming from. It doesn't help that I find myself feeling *very* protective of Wedge at present for reasons that I'm sure are fairly clear, it's stuff I shouldn't have to be doing, and I don't have to do it, but if I don't, I don't see who else is... >_<

Powerbob

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