This fall, we’re trying something new. Join us November 16-22 for the first-ever Handmade Network Beta Week, a focused week of testing and improving software made by the community.
The idea started as we were trying to make jam plans for the fall like usual. Normally we’d do our annual Wheel Reinvention Jam, but we wanted to change up the theme. As we thought about other topics, we realized there is an enormous number of projects in the community now that are significantly more mature than a mere side project, but not yet “shipped” and ready for others to use. We’re always inspired by community members who do ship, so what if we did something to help community members get their software to that point?
The format of the Beta Week is pretty simple: project authors apply to participate, and community members apply to test. Then, for one week, we just go all in on using and testing the software, reporting bugs, fixing bugs, and generally making the software better. In the end we’ll celebrate with a recap show like we always do!
As of this post, our call for projects is now open. If you have a project that you think is ready for community testing, visit this page and fill out the application form. The requirements are minimal:
- The project must run on other people’s machines. This should be a low bar to clear :)
- You must have created a project page on our website. If you have never done so, you can create one from either the home page or your user profile.
Submissions close on Monday, October 26.
We’ll share more information about the logistics of the event in the coming weeks, but for now, we’re excited to see your submissions!
-Ben