I am finding the reliability of the programs and tools released is a function of the people and length and the amount of time Beta testing is conducted. Can you please provide who did the testing, the start and finish dates of the testing prior to release and details specific to the testing? I will be better able to determine my further purchasing decisions based on this.

Thank you very much for this information. If you choose to write to me privately, and do not care to pose on the public forum, that is quite fine.

Very Sincerely.

Hello All, Arizona Kathy here. While I was not one of the Beta testers on this project, I have been a tester on a couple of projects in the past, specifically, Illusions and DS6.

Please, all, be assured, as testers, we put Livingsoft staff through the wringer when we test. It's our goal to break the program by coming up with every option and combination that we can. Still, there still will be some things that sneak through the cracks that some other talented person will manage to find.

Kathy in AZ aka ArizonaKathy in chat classes (Kathy Breedlove in Tucson)
who owns most everything DS and will get back to sewing when I get to move back home again...

quote:

Hello All, Arizona Kathy here. While I was not one of the Beta testers on this project, I have been a tester on a couple of projects in the past, specifically, Illusions and DS6.

Please, all, be assured, as testers, we put Livingsoft staff through the wringer when we test. It's our goal to break the program by coming up with every option and combination that we can. Still, there still will be some things that sneak through the cracks that some other talented person will manage to find.

Kathy in AZ aka ArizonaKathy in chat classes (Kathy Breedlove in Tucson)
who owns most everything DS and will get back to sewing when I get to move back home again...

Hi Kathy,

The test group that participates in each new product release does vary a bit, based on the schedules of those involved. It takes a lot of time, a huge commitment on the part of the testers and not everyone wants to do it every time. Poor Kaaren is in the middle of it all, trying to respond to hundreds of long, detailed, involved reports that she gets every day and boil them down to a summary that the programmers have a prayer of coping with.

It is a massive strain on all involved. We love our testers and sincerely appreciate their commitment, their hard work, their insight, and their insistent demands that we get things right, both for them and for all Dress Shop users. We cannot always give everything they ask for and we sometimes miss things anyway, but the sheer size of the current product is just beyond the ability of any group to completely digest.

The latest product went through a very, very long test cycle this time. This tool was started over a year ago and has been actively used by multiple designers and developers for many months. As it was converted from an in-house tool to a user friendly product, it began formal testing in late October. Throughout November and early December, 15 talented, demanding, and extremely hard working testers put the product through its paces again and again and again. I wish I could show you the folder I have of summary reports (2.6 megabytes in summary form). I cannot imagine what Kaaren must have received before it got boiled down.

With the release of My Pattern Designer, we did not put together the thank you page (with pictures and quotes and lists of who did what) to the testers that we have tried to do in the past and I do apologize to all of them for that. It has been such a huge job getting this product ready during the holiday season and we did not want to burden our overworked group with demands for pictures of finished patterns when they had holiday preparations looming. I hope that when we all have the time later, we can get back to this and everyone will see who was involved and what they worked on and liked in the product.

In the meantime, I noticed just how confusing the screen name conventions of an anonymous forum can be (Kathy in Phoenix asking and Arizona Kathy answering - you two are going to confuse us all!). If it worries you, just add a signature to your posts and keep in mind that there are lots of similar screen names on these forums. Birds of a feather and like minds and all... ;-)

Kathy there were 15 beta testers.
They got the program after about a years work.
They worked for oevr a month testign each aspect.
testers are from all over the US, one Canadian and one Australian.

We will get a credits page up for the testers.They deserve thanks for their extreme hard work.

Over 2500 emails were sent in during that month and they responded 24/7.
Kaaren

quote:

Originally posted by Board Administrator:
[In the meantime, I noticed just how confusing the screen name conventions of an anonymous forum can be (Kathy in Phoenix asking and Arizona Kathy answering - you two are going to confuse us all!). If it worries you, just add a signature to your posts and keep in mind that there are lots of similar screen names on these forums. Birds of a feather and like minds and all... ;-)

Please!! That goes for Board Administrator, too. It's really weird to have a board talk to me, without a name, especially when more than one person here uses that title. So could the Board Administrators please put their name on their posts, too?

OK
Kaaren

Kaaren and Diane, and Others...
Thank you for your response. I can well appreciate the strain that Beta Testing puts on both the testers and those reacting to the feedback.
The software for my sewing machine and the embroidery software was developed over a full year and underwent beta testing for another full year before they released it. They have had 2 patches since the latest version was released in 2002. Although it does not have to deal with the variations and algorithms of this software, I do so very much hope that eventually LSN can get to that point. That would be wonderful.
Again, thank you for your response. I am certainly not looking for any further discussion of this topic. Although I have not engaged in any of the testing, I do think that a simple reward of posting the testors name and pictures is one that the testers would take great pride.

Finally, Diane - you are correct about the confusion of names. I have addressed the confusion of the "Kathys" in Arizona with Arizona Kathy. She did not want to change her call name and I respect that. Probably more simple if I change mine. Best Regards and Happy Holidays!!

quote:

The software for my sewing machine and the embroidery software was developed over a full year and underwent beta testing for another full year before they released it. They have had 2 patches since the latest version was released in 2002. Although it does not have to deal with the variations and algorithms of this software, I do so very much hope that eventually LSN can get to that point. That would be wonderful.

While everyone would be happier with flawless software, I have not had many requests that new builds and features not come out sooner than every 4 years. Livingsoft did use that approach for the many years of Dress Shop 1 and 2 and spending years on each new build certainly has its advantages.

The software for my sewing machine and the embroidery software was developed over a full year and underwent beta testing for another full year before they released it. They have had 2 patches since the latest version was released in 2002. Although it does not have to deal with the variations and algorithms of this software, I do so very much hope that eventually LSN can get to that point. That would be wonderful

Respectfully..answered

You WANT one product back in 2002 and a couple of patches over 3 years with nothing new in between? We have been delivering new stuff 5-6 times per year.

If we did that we would still be back on Version 5 without any forward motion.

Again with respect I think this is an apples/oranges kind of comparison. One: the machine functionality has NOT changed dramatcially.

design options can be added or subtracted within the parameters of what that particular machine or its more recent companion products can do.

We on the other hand have expanded the options without limit to what a particular piece of hardware can do.

We can put something in test for a year BUT the advances the technology that now prevails wouldnt be employed for years.

We are not limited by the hardwares (sewing machine's) abilities to perform a series of forward/back/ side ways stitching. and if the machine has a knee lift or built in scissor or slightly larger hoop are NOT a consideration.

I can make a garment on my late model Babylock or Viking or my ancient(1913) white treadle or even if i was totally nuts with a sewing needle and thread by hand and still employ all the design elements we can produce..

Kaaren

(didnt fit in the car,.darn it)