But becoming a beta tester apparently requires writing an essay.
According to Allison Burnett's (Program Manager) latest post on the IE8 blog,
Currently the only way to directly file a bug with the IE Team is to be a part of the IE8 Technical Beta program on Microsoft Connect. Beta 2 is right around the corner and we are expanding our reach! If you wish to be a part of making IE better by contributing great bug reports then please email us at IESO@microsoft.com and tell us a little about yourself including why you’d be a great beta tester.
An essay? You mean I have to sell myself as a worthy tester before I can submit a bug?
Judging by the comments she's getting, I'm not the only one that sees this as a mite odd...
Maybe more people would participate if:
a.) You allow users to download/view attachments so they can test bugs.
b.) You gave them feedback to indicate which bugs are being fixed, and when they are fixed.
c.) The current beta didn't have such a horrible auto-scrolling issue.
d.) MSFT made some sort of declaration that IE Feedback would actually be around after the IE8 RTM. The fact that this was shut down after IE7 went RTM ***LOST*** most of your loyal contributors.
...and...
I am not writing an essay on why I'd be a great tester. You want/need more testers upload a current complied working build and the bug report tool in one place. Let the web both see and use it. Most of us have had terrible experiences so far with Beta 1 so perhaps it's time to release a Beta 2.
... and also...
Why, on earth, when other browser developers provide open and easy to use bug systems, would Microsoft limit itself in this way?
I have a bug in Webkit, five minutes can help me determine if someone had already reported the bug; no more than another five to submit the bug, with test case.
Mozilla created software to make it easy to search on, and submit bugs. Why, I bet even you all could use it.
Opera has a handy, dandy bug form that makes bug submission a snap.
And here is the IE team "If you email us and ask us really nice we may, just may, mind you, deign to let you actually tell us about that bug, which if left in the released product will haunt us until the end of time. If you don't ask nice, you can stuff your bug."
...and...
Dear Allison Burnett,
I've been a software engineer for 10 years and I'm taken back by why we need to provide reasons as to why we want to be great beta testers for a product that's on the decline in the web browser market. I expect this from a would be employer. I'm all for a better IE but this is not the best effort in gaining interest that Microsoft so dearly needs. You need to do more than just offer invitation to other beta programs.
...and so on. I think one commenter had Microsoft's thought process pegged on this one. That if you allow everyone to post bugs, and some of them don't get fixed, it might make them look bad.
And I'll just leave you with that.
