In these days Web 2.0 becoming much more popular and used by millions of internet users. Therefore, WEb 2.0 applications must go through a tasting stage “Beta”. In the Beta stage developers use it to continue to release new features, fix mistakes, and let the user to test the application. According to O’Reilly how stats that “users must be treated as co-developers”.
Todays example is a GroupOn application, which I am going to explain two things in this application what is it and how it works.
What is it : GroupOn is a web 2.0 application launched in 2008 in Chicago US, and its stuff is estimated more than 1000 people. GroupOn provide a daily deal in your local city. these deals are mainly activities to do, something to eat, or something to buy in more than 500 markets and 44 countries.
When this applications launched it launched in a beta version
How it works: First The member of GroupOn will receive his/her email, Facebook, or Twitter for daily deals. Then, when the user get the deal he/she can see the time left for the deal, Price, actual value, Discount %, how much the user will save in this deal, how many people bought the deal. Moreover, the user can share this deal on Twitter, e-mail, or Facebook. Also, the user can buy this deal for a friend as a gift.
A deal shown in GroupOn
So this leads us to the question of this blog, Are you going to join a web 2.0 application in its Beta stage? Why?
Cheers
Mohammed Alnaqaa Blog 
Jeremy C
May 20, 2011 at 5:01 am
Wow I cant believe someone has written this, I was just on the phone with one of the stardeal representative because I want to post my deal up on the stardeal website. Finally got everything setup and my deal should be up there in a few days (Web design packages). Do mind the extremely high comission rate though(50%). They must be making thousands each day.
Beshayer
May 7, 2011 at 11:22 am
Thanks for sharing this web application. I wouldn’t mind joining a beta for a web app. It’s important for beta users to give feedback in order to improve the services they provide. Maybe then we will see more quality web apps like Groupon.
kazbar9
May 4, 2011 at 7:42 am
I think people would join the web application even in the beta stage if yhr application is interesting them. Cause, if this who are interested in the application keep using the beta app, the service provider can see/analyze how and what function on the web site users use. And then, the provider would be able to improve it’s service. That would lead some of users satisfactions.
Naif Bindayel
May 3, 2011 at 11:43 pm
Thank you mate on this exciting web application. It’s interesting to find some sites like that we can say about is interactive web application.
I think we do not have a choice when we use web 2.0 applications most of them on beta and they do not leave beta at all.
Ben Browning
April 28, 2011 at 7:20 am
There seem to be quite alot of web 2.0 application that are offering the same service as GroupOn, although I’m not sure if the other ones integrate Facebook and twitter.
what are your thoughts on the concept of the perpetual beta?
Mohammed Alnaqaa
May 8, 2011 at 12:02 pm
I think perpetual beta is a good practice to keep an eye on a software in order to develop it