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Has Google Redefined Beta?

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the finished-when-it's-finished dept.

netbuzz writes "Someone finally took the time to do a count of all the Google apps marked 'beta.' And with fully 45% of its products carrying that familiar tag — including 4-year-old Gmail — Google says there's an explanation: Beta doesn't mean to them what it has long meant to the rest of the tech community. 'We believe beta has a different meaning when applied to applications on the Web,' says a company spokesman."

2 of 292 comments (clear)

  1. Actually no.. by sw155kn1f3 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Several companies used "beta" to indicate that product is just not supported. For instance ICQ was beta for like 4-5 years? Don't remember exactly.
    So nothing new here actually.

    --
    - Arwen, I'm your father, Agent Smith.
    - Well, you're just Smith, but my father is Aerosmith!
  2. Re:That's just plain stupid by es330td · · Score: 3, Informative

    My guess is that they call everything "beta" so as to limit the amount of complaints they get when something breaks. "Oh, wait, you were using a beta application to conduct your important company communications? I'm sorry, didn't anyone tell you that beta software doesn't come with the same expectations for reliability and data integrity as released, production code? Silly rabbit!"

    With beta software they can break or alter anything at will and our only course of action is to say "Thank you; may I please have another?"