I have yet to be proven wrong, and thanks for the additional link.


"The first stage, called alpha testing, is often performed ONLY by users within the organization developing the software."


Like I said before, 99.999999999999999999999999999999999999994% of Alpha Testing is done ONLY by people directly involved with the software (ie programming). No kidding that it isn't 100% of the time, but the VAST MAJORITY of Alpha software only sees the light of day to programmers.


But whatever. All this back and forth still misses the real issue, which is undesputable. The question was where can I get Alpha 3? The answer is "On the Decal Devs own website."


If they don't want people using it, then put a password on it so that only Devs can unlock it, and if they really want people to stop using Alpha 3 and move on to test other versions, then disable it. After all, this is "testing" not "playing".

First I would ask the 3 of you, Arch_Magi, Drakier and Maddy... Are you smiling as you post?


If you are not smiling, stop posting... you are arguing with someone that will never see your side.


Second is I would like to thank the decal Devs (and who ever decided not to stop hosting Decal Alpha 3) for continuing to host the Alpha 3 version of Decal, even if it was beyond the "Testing Phase"... had you not, some one else would have had to (and I assume would have)... with luck, Alpha 5 will be out and we can all move forward together...


I look at the decision to open the Alpha 3 as one that supported Turbine and AC as well as the other stated reasons, the longer Decal took, the more folks wandered away from the table... that Decal was going to be broken again later was an acceptable part of getting it back in the first place...


I will give you some quick definitions we can use...

Alpha - Will be broken later as features are added and fixed...

Beta - May be broken later as features are added and fixed...

Release - may have features and fixes added later if it's broken...


Where did I get them? I made them up just now.


Ok, go back to your fun.

I'm always smiling. *grins*


it takes more than that to get me to not smile.


also.. I see wuite often that people misunderstand my post and take it defensively as if I'm attacking, which unless you know me is hard to know otherwise..


As for the original original question.. as I said then and will continue to say, alpha 3 is old and testers and developers should be building on alpha 4 and then on alpha 5 once it's released.


We know we can't keep anyone from using the older ones without creating a lot of headache for ourselves (it's not that easy to just "disable" old versions... regardless what some people would like to think). We just hope that people will be smart enough to follow the proper procedures when testing.


to be honest, I don't care if people are running alpha 3 privately. I just don't want to hear about it or attempt to support it. If it works for you, fine. Continue to use it. If not, I don't want to hear about it. I'm not going to point you at where to get older versions. I'm not going to support older versions.

I always smile when I'm posting. Posting angry is pointless.


As for that other paragraph, that is what I figured. People weren't going to "accept" the timetable of "Christmas" as a release date. They would move on to other methods (and games) and it (and AC) would just die.


As for thanks, I am very thankful of Decal. It makes the game bearable in the endless grinding that is high level play. If it was really "officially cancelled", I'd most likely stop playing.

<< Given that there are a variety of definitions for what should be classified as alpha software I would suggest you take the definition provided by the decal devs. >>


Which is my point. I could toss up my text book definition of alpha testing from the Software Engineering course I completed this year, it tends to back up the definition being used by the Decal devs (see Sommervile "Software Engineering" Seventh edition).

 

-----signature-----

<< First I would ask the 3 of you, Arch_Magi, Drakier and Maddy... Are you smiling as you post? >>


Wouldn't be posting if I didn't find it amusing in some fashion.

 

-----signature-----

Gotta love how Arch_Magi turns everything into a semantics argument -- only valid complaint he can dig up.

 

-----signature-----

I gotta love how certain Decal Devs come off like they are Gods and that nobody knows nothing if they aren't a part of their "clique".


You wanna take a dig on me, fine, I'll dig back.


The original poster asked a direct question, and a "common user" gave the answer, then a Decal Dev came in and proceeded to give him a lecture on the use of "old software". The simple fact is that people are tired of being talked down to, and I for one do not buy into their "Godship". Maybe when people start treating people with a little respect and no longer talk down their nose at people, others will reciprocate.

you perceive what I said as being talked down to.


I was not talking down to anyone.


I was simply stating that Decal 3 is outdated software, and it is appreciated if people running old software update.


Read into what I say all you want. Doesn't change what I said.

Hiya me again,


Arch for president!!!!


Its long reading but what he says makes sence.