feature testing
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Facebook's Director of Engineering explains how you're part of the dev team
Ever wondered why those crazy fools at Facebook think it's a good idea to meddle with the timeline, or how you chat? Well you can blame yourself. Probably. The social network's Director of Engineering, Andrew "Boz" Bosworth, reveals all in a recent blog post. By first explaining that the site evolves in a two-step process, "technology pushes people to move forward and then people move past technology and it has to catch up," we can start to understand why constant user testing of new, often multiple, solutions is required. Boz goes on to explain that by using select groups, or even nations, the efficacy new features can not only be quickly, and solidly determined, it can actually supplant the need for weeks of boardroom debate. He goes on to say that the odds are that everyone on Facebook has been part of a test at some point. Curious to know more about the process, or just feeling a little bit used? Head over to the source link for the full post / comment thread.
Captain's Log: Every day I'm tribbleing
Captain's Log, Stardate 65322.9... Hello, computer (and players)! For the past several weeks, Star Trek Online players have been checking out the latest F2P beta builds on the Tribble test server. While there have been a few patches on other days, more for stability fixes and minor tweaking, Thursdays seem to be the designated day for us to receive the largest pushes of new content. The latest round of updates has brought further economy changes, new events and ships, and even more heated debates. Since we seem to be a ways out from the seeing the updates ported to the Holodeck live server, there is still plenty of time to check it all out and provide your feedback to the devs. I would like to dedicate this entry to those who are helping test the changes. This week's Captain's Log serves as a checklist of sorts on what new content you can test and where you can provide feedback about it. As you read through, I suggest that you read a particular section, jump into game to check out the particular change, formulate an opinion, and head to the linked forum where you can leave your feedback. No matter what you think, it's important to let the devs know -- they will make changes based upon a collective opinion. Ensign, warp 10! It's time to create our own party rock anthem...
Captain's Log: Testing out the future
Captain's Log, Stardate 65264.3... Hello, computer (and players)! As you have must have seen by now, open beta testing of Star Trek Online's new F2P model is well underway; the developers have been posting dev diaries about the impending changes for the last couple of days. Because testers on the Tribble test server were required to start new characters, and because character transfers will not be an option for at least a few weeks, many players have begun a mad dash to level up their test characters in order to test out some of the retooled endgame content. Since testing, especially in this manner, can be confusing, I have decided to dedicate this week's Captain's Log to those who are willing to take on the challenge. Past the jump, you will find a checklist of sorts that you can use while testing (or, ultimately, playing) the new content and updates. I suggest reading each section and then checking it out in-game. While some recommendations may seem less interesting than others, I suggest you give each a fair shot so you can provide feedback on what can make the game better. Ensign, warp 10! Let's give our dedicated Tribbleites some structure to their testing time...
Testing players to receive rewards in Star Trek Online
One of the little carrots that Star Trek Online has always given its players is a reward for playing on the test server. Specifically, by playing on the Tribble server, players receive a unique "bonus" tribble for their captain on the live server. The fourth entry in the Path to F2P blog series promises that players who take part on the test server will once again receive a special ball of fluff to call their own... but there's more on the way. The special reward tribble will be given to anyone who either reaches level 6 on a character created for the test server or transfers a higher-level character over once the transfers become available. Current subscribers who clock in time on the server will also be eligible for several other small rewards -- nothing spectacular individually, but enough so that players who log in regular testing will feel a bit of an extra bonus. The test server will get the KDF faction opened this week, so Star Trek Online players will have plenty to test in the name of easily replicating cooing dustbunnies. The fifth Path to F2P blog post has also gone live this evening with more details on how to rack up these test points and a deeper explanation for why you'd want to do so.
