Guidelines

In order to achieve a smooth beta process, we've come up with a set of guidelines (not rules!) regarding usage of the program. We think that these few points will make for a productive and, dare I say, enjoyable beta.

Try everything

There are a lot of new parts of the app and new functionality in the parts which you're already familiar with. Tinker with things and get to know the new features of the software. There's a lot there to love.

Push it to it's limits

Do post, comment, TrackBack, create, delete, poke, prod, bend and even break (if you can). The more you push the software, the better the final product will be.

Do it publicly

Testing: There's no reason to be all secretive about it (and, frankly, after you use it, you're going to want to tell people about it anyhow). The more people you have commenting and TrackBacking your site, the better the test. Bring your friends and family! Let everyone take it for a spin! We want to know where the bugs are and only usage of the application will tell us that.

Make it real

Installing the application from scratch, creating a few lonely entries and commenting on them yourself won't tell you much about the new version. The best way to really take it for a test drive is to fill the tank with your actual data. If you're using MySQL, you can use phpMyAdmin or mysqldump to dump your entire database to a file which you can then import into a new database. If you're using SQLite or BerkeleyDB, just make a copy of your database (file or directory, respectively) and use it in your new installation. After that, all you need to do is upgrade and off you go!

For testing purposes only

You should absolutely know with every fabric of your being that any and all data in your beta installation will undoubtedly be corrupted and completely wiped from your database. If you're still comfortable using that data, then you'll be just fine. Using this on your main blog is asking for trouble.

Backup your data

Of course, there will be those who simply must, despite all warnings and common sense, upgrade their one and only blog and never look back. Just do yourself and us a favor: Back up your data often. And then do it again just for good measure..

Be a great bug reporter

The difference between a great bug reporter and a drain on resources is often just a tiny bit of effort and an ability to put yourself into someone else's shoes. We've got a whole entry on "How to File a Bug". Read it, do your best, and we'll love you forever.

Stick to these guidelines, kiddo, and we'll go far...