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Beta Is Dead

January 20, 2009
by Blake Snow
Guest Blogger, GigaOm

Blake Snow

Beta, as it pertains to Web sites, has seen better days. Not long ago, saying the word as part of your Web development cycle could help land venture capital even faster than claiming “community,” “paradigm shift” or “disruptive technology.” Now, the term is dissipated and confusing.

While the specific origin of its use is unknown, beta as a tagline was popularized by a Google (GOOG) with the release of Google News in 2002, and later, Gmail in 2004. From there, start-ups quickly followed suit. By 2006, it seemed like every new Web site was “in beta.”

When confronted about the phenomenon, Google co-founder Larry Page told investors, “It’s really a messaging and branding thing. If it’s on [Google News and Gmail] for five years, that’s fine.” Google News unceremoniously left beta a year later. Gmail, which is more reliable than most nonbeta software, has yet to do so.

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