Participate
As a beta tester you will assist our team in the search for bugs (unexpected features if we like what you find!). Reporting any issues you may stumble upon will help us improve the quality before general release so please provide as much feedback as you wish. To get involved, just follow the installation instructions on the download page.
What is Beta Testing?
All software is designed in phases and the Search Thresher extension is no exception. Beta is the phase in which the software is nearly complete but some things still might not work correctly for every user. Beta software is generally released to a group of people, called Beta testers, who use it and then report anything they find which still needs to be fixed. Having said that, we expect Search Thresher to remain in a state of “permanent beta” as we expect to continuously improve the extension to help personalised search reach its full potential.
What do I need to participate?
To participate in the beta programme you must have the Firefox Web browser installed on your computer. If you are not a Firefox user, you can download it from http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox
What is a Bug?
Basically, a bug is anything you find with software that causes it not to function in the way it was designed or intended.
What to do when you find a bug?
Take careful note of exactly how you found your bug. Take note of any error messages which were generated and details of exactly what you were doing on your computer when the bug occurred.
Providing as much information as possible will help make your bug more valuable to the Beta staff. In order to fix a bug, we have to be able to reproduce it ourselves. Please give us clear and concise step-by-step instructions on how to reproduce the bug in your report.
Also include the Search Thresher Revision number
To find the revision number of Search Thresher Beta software you are currently using:
- Click on the Search Thresher toolbar
- When that menu opens, click ‘About’
- A window will appear with the version number (version 0.1.6)
Try to make the bug happen again (reproduce it) before filing your report. Whether or not you can reproduce the bug is one of the first questions you’ll be asked in the report form. It’s an important question because things which happen only one time might not be bugs, but a one-time glitch caused by temporary conditions on your computer. Attempting to reproduce the bug will also make it easier for you to write out the steps to reproduce the it later in the bug report form.
Please keep in mind that the majority of bug reports are not answered and so they should be considered a one-way communication to the Beta staff.
Thanks and happy surfing!
