Alpha Testing
From Cyclopath
Cyclopath is currently in alpha testing, meaning it is only open to people who have signed up to test. This page contains information for alpha testers and potential testers. If you just want to be notified when Cyclopath goes live, please e-mail info@cyclopath.org.
The main goal of alpha testing is for people like you to use the site to do whatever tasks you choose. You get early access to a very cool new site, we get problem reports and suggestions from users — a good deal for everyone.
Alpha testers form a community. Along these lines, we provide a mailing list, cyclopath-users@googlegroups.com, for discussion among testers and the developers regarding the Cyclopath system. When we create your account, we will also subscribe you to this mailing list. This is a high-traffic e-mail list, with dozens of e-mails per day, though you can select a daily digest e-mail or read the group on the Web.
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[edit] What alpha testers must do
Your main duty as an alpha tester is simply to use the site however you choose. However, there are a few specific things that are very important that you do:
- Install the latest Flash Player, version 9.0.124 or better. You can check your version at http://www.macromedia.com/software/flash/about/ and download the latest version at http://www.adobe.com/go/getflash.
- Tell us about any problems you encounter. The best way to report these is by posting on cyclopath-users, but you can also e-mail the developers privately at info@cyclopath.org if your report contains private information or concerns the mailing list itself.
- Do not allow anyone else to use your login (shared accounts are not permitted). We can however set up more than one account per e-mail address.
- Stay subscribed to cyclopath-users@googlegroups.com, though you can pick the digest option or read the group on the Web. Alpha testing is an active role, not simply early access to the application. We don't expect you to read every message, but we would like for you to at least skim the subject lines and maintain basic awareness of what is going on in the testing process.
[edit] Suggested tasks for alpha testers
As noted above, your role as an alpha tester is simply to exercise the system's functionality by using it. This section outlines a few ideas for things you could do that would be useful in exercising the system and helping us discover what needs to be improved.
- Participate in mailing list discussions.
- What do you think of the user agreement and privacy policy? Are there changes we should make?
- Use the route finder to find 5 routes. Are they good ones? What are the problems? Are there mistakes the route-finder is making frequently?
- Enter 10 places not yet on the map that you think are of interest to other cyclists.
- Move places which are incorrectly located into the correct locations.
- Create notes on 25 places or blocks (roads/trails) which do not yet have any notes.
- Edit the existing notes on 25 places or blocks.
- Rate the bikeability of 100 blocks where you've ridden.
[edit] If you would like to help alpha test
Please send e-mail to reid@umn.edu. In your note, include:
- The metro neighborhoods where you typically ride.
- A few words about your riding habits.
- A few words about your level of experience with computers and wikis.
- Note: We're not selecting based on this experience, so if you have little, that's fine.
- The username you would like (lowercase letters and numbers only, no spaces or other characters).
Note that by signing up to be an alpha tester, you affirm that you have read and agree to the user agreement and privacy policy, so you may like to review that before sending us e-mail.
If we don't have a slot for your right away, we'll put you on the waiting list (we add more slots continually). We will also reply to you personally regardless.
Please note: Due to the stories in both the Star Tribune and Pioneer Press recently (July 19), we are processing an unprecedented number of alpha testing requests. We will still get back to everyone personally, but it will take longer than usual.
