The Portable Freeware Collection Forums

Someone has updated ShareX's listing to present a beta version, is that allowed?
Nowhere in that listing is the word "beta" mentioned which makes it look like a stable "official" version.
If it's not allowed, the FAQ should reflect that.

If I recall correctly, although Beta versions aren't welcome in the database, some exceptions are allowed -- I'm sure webfork can further substantiate that.

It's not a beta. It out and released by the dev, a pre-release... he likes to wait a week or so before triggering the auto-updater to the masses in case any critical issue are found just to be safe.

As already mentioned by Special, it's not beta.
Every release of ShareX is marked as "Pre-release" for few days.
Of course we can wait, but TPFC always must be in the avant-garde!

Midas wrote: ↑Fri Nov 09, 2018 6:37 am If I recall correctly, although Beta versions aren't welcome in the database, some exceptions are allowed -- I'm sure webfork can further substantiate that.

Yes, we accept beta software into the database. I haven't added it to the FAQ just because it's not frequently asked about.

There are a few reasons:

1. Novelty. When there's nothing else like it in the database, early stage stuff is fine. I definitely would have added Exselo if it were portable, even though it was definitely in early development (not sure of the status now). Camstudio was in beta for a very long time
   .
2. Quality. We've seen a lot of software listed at "beta" that's really at a release-quality level. If it doesn't crash and does everything you need it to do but is still beta because the dev is a perfectionist, it's fine. Kompozer is *still* in beta and I've easily spent at least 200 hours with it. It very rarely crashes.
   .
3. Lack of standard. Developers aren't really following the alpha-beta-release standards anymore, which used to be:
   
   • Alpha - buggy, outline of a program, maybe a vague proof-of-concept.
   • Beta - mostly works, some bugs, a little crashy
   • Release - bugs resolved, features work, few crashes
   This is due to a lot of factors including very stable frameworks, rapid release cycles, or intensive software testing suites that weren't available 10 years ago.
   .
4. Safety. Some tools (I suspect) stay in perma-beta status to avoid anything resembling liability. "Oh your whole company broke while using beta software? Sounds like bad judgment."
   .
5. Other - Some exceptions that have come up over time:
   
   • 7-zip - critical security issue
   • Everything - at one point the release version lagged way behind the beta so we listed both.

To be clear, I do lean away from beta since portable software maintains a "just works" approach (one of the advantages of being self-contained). I try to test them thoroughly before adding or voting them in.


Related:
https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/what-does ... ally-mean/

Thanks for detailed write-up.

Midas wrote: ↑Sun Nov 11, 2018 2:21 pm Thanks for detailed write-up.

Sure thing

Midas wrote: ↑Sun Nov 11, 2018 2:21 pm Thanks for detailed write-up.

Likewise.

Did you think about including a "status" field, simply to honor the authors' choice (for all the reasons you listed) and avoid any misconceptions?

lwc wrote: ↑Tue Nov 20, 2018 10:42 am a "status" field

There is already "Version"

billon wrote: ↑Tue Nov 20, 2018 10:49 am

lwc wrote: ↑Tue Nov 20, 2018 10:42 am Did you think about including a "status" field, simply to honor the authors' choice (for all the reasons you listed) and avoid any misconceptions?

There is already "Version"

I agree with billon: as it doesn't come up often and the term "beta" just doesn't have the same meaning it once had, a separate field probably isn't necessary.

ProgramX v2.00 final released!!!!

2 days later...

ProgramX v2.01 released, fixed a small bug.

lwc: omg why was this not posted as a beta.

Special wrote: ↑Wed Nov 21, 2018 10:56 am lwc: omg why was this not posted as a beta.

No...and even if I did, it's not relevant to my point that I think programs' authors should be respected for their choices. If they chose the term "beta" then I'd trust they had a reason.
If "version" here included the word "beta" I'd be all for it (e.g. v2.3 beta).