Expectation Management for Test Releases

[Keith Lofstrom]

(cc. tfox at redhat.com, Fedora documentation leader)

Keith wrote to the fedora-test-list:
> Let's work on those disclaimers, okay?

Alan Cox replied:
> It has them, when it boots. And nobody knew it didnt boot on some systems
> until they tried it - thats what testing found.

Here is the disclaimer, AFTER booting "linux text" (graphic is the same):


--------------- Warning!  This is pre-release software ! ----------------

     Thank you for downloading this pre-release of Fedora Core.

     This is not a final release and is not intended for use on
     production systems.  The purpose of this release is to collect
     feedback from testers, and is not suitable for day to day 
     usage.

     To report feedback, please visit:
  
        http://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla
  
     and file a report against 'Fedora Core'.

                             [ Exit ]    [ Install Anyway ]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

That's it.  That's all.  It says nothing about "updates don't work" or
"box of broken glass" or "test releases eat babies".  And to get to
that screen, a hell of a lot of code has to work - at least booting
and anaconda and so forth.  If the installer isn't working, this message
is inaccessable - in effect, no disclamer is provided anywhere in the
process, to counterbalance the invitation to participate in testing on
the web pages.  No suggestion is made to hunt through thousands of list
messages to perform an attitude check before joining in the fun.  And a
potential tester has to spend the hours to days necessary to download
the ISOs before this message is even potentially accessable (this posting
might help advanced Googlers find it).

I am asking to place information on the download page, warning people
before they go through the work of downloading and attempting to help with
testing that they are not invited to participate unless they understand
certain things and meet some qualifications.  Potential participants also
need to be warned that 30 years of experience testing software in other
venues does not necessarily apply here;  the rules for Fedora are different.

The Boeing gentleman I mentioned wasn't trying to use Fedora on a
"production system"; he was attempting to offer his help in testing, as
he did professionally for his company for internal and external software.
He was attempting to relate his knowledge of hi-rel software testing to
what is happening here, and was disappointed about the waste of his
efforts.  If people like that are not welcome here, at least let them
know *why* in a kind way, because their professional impression of us
matters to our own future.

I can rewrite the webpage at http://fedora.redhat.com/download/test.html 
to include some of these rules - the HTML style is easy to emulate .
I am open to suggestions as to what rules I should offer.  Otherwise, I
can extract some of the verbiage from the mailing list (do the authors want
to be attributed or anonymous?).  If some of the attitudes on the mailing
list are made obvious to potential testers before downloading then there
will be fewer downloads (freeing up the mirrors for the people that need
them ) and fewer unqualified testers annoying you with questions.   In the
longer term, there will be less hostility and more acceptance of Linux.

If you believe restricting testers with accessable warnings will result
in fewer interruptions and a better general release, here is a chance to
test that idea.  If you believe in restricting testers through surprises
and censure, be prepared for lifelong professional consequences. 
The web does not forget.

Keith

-- 
Keith Lofstrom           keithl at ieee.org         Voice (503)-520-1993
KLIC --- Keith Lofstrom Integrated Circuits --- "Your Ideas in Silicon"
Design Contracting in Bipolar and CMOS - Analog, Digital, and Scan ICs