Re: 8.5 release timetable, again

Tom Lane wrote:
> Andrew Dunstan <andrew@dunslane.net> writes:
>   
>> My concern is not just with those features, but with the whole ratio of 
>> the window for new work to the total development cycle. That ratio keeps 
>> going down and the time the tree is effectively frozen to new features 
>> keeps going up.
>>     
>
> Yup.  This is a huge problem and we need to deal with it somehow.  At
> the same time, I'm worried that our beta testing process is already
> inadequate.  We've found several rather embarrassing bugs in 8.4, for
> instance, things that should have been found in beta IMO.  Shortening
> beta or encouraging people to start next-cycle development instead of
> testing doesn't seem like a wise move.  You can't just develop all
> the time, you have to test & debug too ...
>
>
>   

Perhaps some more formalised beta program would be useful. I have at 
least one client who could probably be persuaded to devote some 
resources to Beta testing. Maybe we need a Beta Program co-ordinator or 
some such animal. I suspect that plenty of possible beta testers don't 
even know when we go beta.

cheers

andrew