[TS3] Call for Closed Alpha Testers!

[R. Ludwig]

now you start looking for alpha testers? So there is no release to expect for another 2-3 years. I wish you luck, but i'm more than dissapointed.

i am sure other companies would release what we got as beta or rc1, maybe even released it already.

[Peter]

and now you start looking for alpha testers? So there is no release to expect for another 2-3 years.

We have actually had alpha testers for more than 2.5 years! See this devblog entry which was posted on May 1st 2006 . So, according to your estimations of "2-3 years after first alpha testers are recruited release takes place" we are *very* close :P

[Volley]

Ok, my apologies for the inappropriate flaming.

Don't get me wrong: my bad mood actually isn't exactely because the alpha test or the terms of it. I'm not that impatent to see or use TS3 as i might appear. I'd be perfectly fine with TS2 ... if it would work for me. It's because you stopped maintaining TS2 so long before TS3 is available. But this doesn't belong here.

Back to the testing:

Tough the way you handle some things (very restrictive and closed) go against the grain for me, i do understand your reasons and taking into account the target audience it might eaven be necessary. If not necessary, then at least more safe for you.

I have to admit that i've seen what huge numbers of users that don't provide anything to a project can do if you don't be careful enough. (This however doesn't mean that it's not possible to have a more open development process and still efficiently manage the masses)

So i hope the testing goes well, maybe we see somewhen when you start public tests.

[Bealzebub]

Non-disclosure agreements are very common in closed alpha and beta testing (that's why it's called "closed"). As a company you don't want information to leak out about an upcoming product, both for marketing (you as the developer want to be the one breaking the news) as for QA purposes. NDAs provide a legal basis to take on a rogue tester if the need arises.

As for the beta testing application form, I'm quite thrilled with the selection procedure. It's clear the company wants to keep this closed Alpha period as short as possible, hence the requirements of at least being able to test a couple of hours a week and know the basics of the platform you are working on. One good tester who can point out problems in a clear way and does quite a bit of testing is more useful than a hundred who just want to see a product before anyone else. The latter belong in an open beta. So yes, I am willing to sign an NDA, fill out the application form and invest some of my precious spare time, so I can get my WoW guild on the open beta version asap. On a side note to a student from someone who has both done and conducted job interviews: although the application form had some requirements, it's nowhere near the scope of a true job application or interview :-).

Teamspeak's main competitor doesn't have alsa support either. In fact, they don't even have a linux client at all. On top of that, they have an extremely restrictive license (7-user free server limit rules out any 10-man and 25-man raid). If you want alsa support and can't wait for a couple more weeks, you can try out Mumble, which is open source and does support alsa. It has some other quirks you'll have to deal with, such as memory leaks, instability and other weird issues, but hey, it does have alsa support, since that seems to be your main gripe with teamspeak.

[maggy]

What many people don't realize about the TS team is that TS3 is at the bleeding edge of theoretical physics.

They have developed a new form of lag compensation in VOIP which solves a basic problem in internet communications. Instead of trying to implement a difficult-to-explain scheme of interpolation, the new TS3 client actually goes into the future to determine what you are saying before you say it, timing the transmission of that data so that is arrives at the other clients precisely at the moment that you actually start talking, thus bypassing all lag on all clients, seamlessly. This technology took years to develop in total secrecy so the laughable "old-fashioned" TS2 with its "practical networking" was put to the side in the interest in advancing anti-lag time travel.

It runs on linux too. :P

Hope that answered your question?

[Volley]

the new TS3 client actually goes into the future to determine what you are saying before you say it, timing the transmission of that data so that is arrives at the other clients precisely at the moment that you actually start talking, thus bypassing all lag on all clients, seamlessly.

What, that's all?
Damn, and i hoped TS3 would finally come with sense activation, sending only your voice when you say something that acutally makes sense, and muting you when you cough, eat, drink, talk to someone else in the room or say something stupid ...

But didn't you violate the NDA right now?

[Thomas]

Maggy is currently not in the alpha testing team, so he doesn't ...

P.S.: That's neither a confirmation nor a opposition to maggies post!

[DaCaNo]

Well everything sounds good... let me know when U need windows testers
I can provide server and a bunch of other testers, when the time comes!
3 ppl in Sweden, 1 in Holland, 1 in Israel and about 30 ppl in US and Canada!

Cant weight for the release... or atleast a dedline.. maby a new update...

Stay safe.
Dacano out!

[Peter]

We sent out invitations to those people we want to interview during phase 2, sorry for everybody who wasn't invited, we had to boil you down to a manageable number

[Elradon]

When has the team been increased? Just this month, or before?

[Thomas]

There were several periods in which the alpha team growed up.

But there is still no member, who applied in the public apply form yet.

[DaCaNo]

We sent out invitations to those people we want to interview during phase 2, sorry for everybody who wasn't invited, we had to boil you down to a manageable number

but that was only for MAC and LINUX right??
or have I missed some thread in the forum??

because, Id like to apply if its possible... but Im using the windows OS!
burt if U do have a link where I can apply.. let me know!!

Dacano out!

[Thomas]

HERE is the link.

But read the requirements first, please.

[Peter]

but that was only for MAC and LINUX right??

Yes
..............

[Hook88]

But there is still no member, who applied in the public apply form yet.

You mean that noone of this forum applied to get an alpha tester?

I would really love to help you testing TS3, but I currently don't use Linux as my primary system because the oss-sound-system just sucks.... Theres no well-working possibility for me to get oss-programs working with alsa, so for example I can't listen to music while using TeamSpeak2....