Suggestion Feature Request: Longer expiring-date for Beta-App

[mad99]

Hi again,
Now, the end of the last working Beta is come. Because both 1.7.0.157 and 1.7.0.149 are expired.
No operable or workable version for os x is left.
I know the viewpoint from R C-R (

).
But I'm not sure if R C-R is an Affinity employee or the decision maker when it comes to making the software more user-friendly.
Because the topic with included features request/suggestion has a wrong title, I create a new topc about this particular wish/suggestion/request.
On macBook Pro with OSX the current Affinity Beta 1.7.162 is not a working solution, because the afpub files can no longer be saved or opened(

).

Would be great if Affinity could discuss about a little longer expiring time from Beta-Apps.
This could be easy with approach below or some similar solution:

 

####################

PLEASE, do change expiring-date, so at least the previous version will survive 2 following versions! 

Proposal for calculation:
exipreTime = releaseTime + 3x releaseIterations

If your plan is publish all 4 Weeks a new beta-release. The second-last beta will expire 2 x 4 weeks after the release of latest version publishing-time.
So when every four weeks:

Affinity Publisher Beta_1.7.0.162
Release Date: 05.11.2018
Expire Date: 05.02.2019

Affinity Publisher Beta_1.7.0.157 (previous)
Release Date: 05.10.2018
Expire Date: 05.01.2019

Affinity Publisher Beta_1.7.0.149 (second-last)
Release Date: 05.09.2018
Expire Date: 05.12.2018

That would give the possiblity for your BETA-Tester to use at least 1 or 2 (if previous also has a fundamental bug) version back.

AND for the business there is only 2-times of your release-time to make monetisation.

Official BUY-Release:
Affinity Publisher 1.8 (BUY-Release)
Release Date: 05.12.2018

Last BETA will expire 05.02.2019
####################

Would be great to get a working Beta-App back or at least at next time to have not the same problem.

Friendly regards

Martin

[fde101]

57 minutes ago, mad99 said:

not sure if R C-R is an Affinity employee

He is not - the Affinity employees have a "Staff" badge under their names along the left side of the posts.

 

58 minutes ago, mad99 said:

the afpub files can no longer be saved or opened

That seems to depend on what you put in them, but in any case there are multiple posts from the Affinity team now indicating an updated beta which should fix this problem is coming quite soon.

 

1 hour ago, mad99 said:

plan is publish all 4 Weeks a new beta-release

I haven't observed the timing between beta releases as being on a regular time frame like that.

[walt.farrell]

6 minutes ago, fde101 said:

He is not - the Affinity employees have a "Staff" badge under their names along the left side of the posts.

That depends on the size of the screen one uses to view the posts, in case you weren't aware. The info does not show on the posts when viewing on my phone, for example

(It can be found, if one wants to look, but is not directly visible as it is on a larger screen, due to the responsive design of this forum system.)

[mad99]

Thank you fde101 for your information.
I grasped the last comment too, with the information «coming quite soon».

Sure, maybe the versions aren't so strictly scheduled. Nevertheless, a longer runtime would probably mean very little extra effort for AP-devs or Release-manager but on the other hand mutch more flexibility and safety for everyone.
The change in expiring-time would also reduce pressure to devs to publish fast version releases.
Quite sure, it would help everyone.

[fde101]

1 minute ago, walt.farrell said:

size of the screen one uses to view the posts, in case you weren't aware

I wasn't aware, but I guess that shouldn't surprise me.  I've never tried to access forums using something that small.

[MikeW]

15 minutes ago, fde101 said:

I wasn't aware, but I guess that shouldn't surprise me.  I've never tried to access forums using something that small.

The forum has a decent mobile screen layout, but the titles/badges are missing from it when I don't think they need to be. I most often come here using my phone. I mostly use the desktop if I want to include screen shots—after I'm done perusing whilst drinking coffee first thing in the morning anyway!

[MEB]

Hi mad99,
A new Beta should be out pretty soon with the save issue fixed.

[mad99]

Hi MEB,
I'm thilled about and really looking forward to it.

Thank you for all the great work and tools

[AdamW]

Hi, there is now an updated build 167 here.

[mad99]

Great it works (Posted in download-page)

Nevertheless,
a possibility to install the old version on few systems where current version (in future) does not work, would help very mutch in everyday life.
Simply like this time, via a link in case of total failure of the beta. But instead of around 5 days to get an expiring time about 30 days would be great and help to continue and increase the enthusiasm about Publisher's Beta and to be part of Beta-Tester-Team.

I am the last one who doesn't want to work with the latest version. But if it doesn't work anymore, a longer expiration time would be extremely helpful.

For all involved: Imagine, several hundred beta users are without a functional application after a few days.
How would that increase the pressure to get a hotfix out even faster. Work under time-pressure is not the best condition to do it error-free.

But anyway, Publisher (Photo and Designer too) is a great product and I love to work with.
I don't want to keep bouncing around this wish/suggestion, be silent and enjoy the work.

Cheers Martin

[AdamW]

Hi, build 167 will expire on around Dec 11. I would expect at least two updates before then.

[mad99]

!!GREAT!!
I U, or the decission maker
Thanks a lot.
Cheers Martin