Beta Testing??

[irving2008]

Good evening all,

Just a question before I go ahead an upset people. We are working on some new products (Drives, controllers etc) and are looking how best to get people to beta test them for us.

When the time is right, would it be acceptable to post asking if anyone would be interested in assisting with our beta testing (Free stuff for feedback and reviews/comparisons), or would this break the forum rules?

These will in the end be commercial products.

Regards

James
(on behalf of work this time)

James,


I have no issue with a call for beta testers on the forum. I dont regard that as advertising per se (marketing yes, for those that want to quibble the difference). Indeed, other forums I belong to have a long history of beta testing new products with knowledgable and enthusiastic members.

All we ask (and I include this purely for the information of others) is that it is a true beta test. I have drafted the following 'rules' as guidelines...

1. The product must not yet be commercially available;
2. There must be a reasonable number of testers (I'm happy to debate the meaning of 'reasonable number', but its more than 1);
3. Testers may use a single thread on the forum to discuss their beta testing and compare notes, and the Supplier recognises that such feedback may contain commercially sensitive information which will be in the public domain;
4. Reviews and comparisons made during the beta test with other vendor's products must be fair and verifiable and based on the tester's own personal experiences;
5. MYCNCUK does not require Suppliers to offer any incentive to beta testers;
6. The use of the forum by Suppliers to support beta testing does not constitute an endorsement of the Supplier's products or services by MYCNCUK;
7. Notwithstanding any of the above, Suppliers may not advertise their products on MYCNCUK unless they have formally entered into an advertising arrangement with MYCNCUK.

On point 5.... this doesnt prevent Suppliers offering discounts or other incentives as is often seen as normal practice, it just means it is at the Suppliers discretion, as are future discounts to forum members.

regards,
Irving...