Re: Beta Needed Re: Beta Volunteers
Here at Talk, a "beta" is somebody that reads over a fanfiction before the author publishes it to make sure it has good grammar, the characters' attitudes aren't too out of whack, and the plot makes sense. Some betas do more than that, but that's the general idea.
The word "beta" comes from the Greek letter. The first letter in the Greek alphabet (alpha+beta=alphabet, incidentally) is "alpha." That's the "original" copy of the work. "Beta" is the second letter in the Greek alphabet, so that comes next.
The same general lingo is used in game testing.
Please, don't ask how I know that.
P.S. I actually do beta, mostly for Vegas. And I know forensics stuff. And explosives. Some of you know this. <cough> Anyway.