sub-forum: "Test my apps!" status

[drachmad]

Hi Erel,

Just a simple thinking, not to offend your policies - apologized me if I do.
The sub-forum: "Test my apps!" can not be accessed by non login user, even it is not shown.
It is more stricker than the forum "Share Your Creations".
I think the purpose of this sub forum is to test an application before it will be release for public use, e.g. Play store.
Can it be made public, so that even a non b4a member can download it and even comment so that this forum can be use as a prereleased forum.
Or
Can you make a new forum with above requirements.

I have a problem of testing my application before release for the public.

Thank you for your consideration.

 

[thedesolatesoul]

I think this is a bad idea (due to one thread I read 3 years ago).
The safest (and managed) way to do beta test is to use the Google Play Beta and Alpha channels. It is more hassle but safer.

 

[drachmad]

Thanks to @thedesolatesoul for your quick response.
If that is the case, just forget my thread above.
The problem, I am a newbie and posting to the Beta test in Play store seem a little bit problem. It is my first application.
I read you must have a group of beta tester that you gather by yourself to test it?

 

[Erel]

Almost all of the activity in the forum is of licensed users. Personally I don't have any problem to open the Test My App forum. However in the past when it was created there were several developers who preferred it to be more private.

 

[thedesolatesoul]

Thanks to @thedesolatesoul for your quick response.
If that is the case, just forget my thread above.
The problem, I am a newbie and posting to the Beta test in Play store seem a little bit problem. It is my first application.
I read you must have a group of beta tester that you gather by yourself to test it?

I think the problem was someone posted his apk, but somebody else uploaded it to the market from the forum.
If you read through this thread you can probably find the whole procedure for setting up a Beta test channel:
http://www.b4x.com/forum/basic4android-updates-questions/30213-play-store-beta-testing-channel.html
But yes, the problem is to get people to sign up in the group (but then it is safer since you only add the people you trust).

 

[drachmad]

Thanks to Erel and thedesolatesoul.
I have read your link provided, thats why I am a little bit hesitate to start that path.
Is that the reason that most of the newly posted in the "Share your creations" does not have any source and apk files?
If that is the case I think Erel must have a warning that an application that want to be share to public must not post the source and apk files in the "Share your creations" forum but better in the "Test my apps!" but it seem the visitor to the "Test my apps!" is minimal.

 

[eps]

Keep it private.

If you want other people to Test Your App, then make it available via DropBox or something similar. That's what I do, you can then restrict access yourself, by only sharing the directory that the apk is in with a select set of people or make it publicly available in a Public Directory within DropBox.

 

[drachmad]

Hi eps, thanks for your suggestion.
The problem I did not have many relations that use Android. Mostly still Blackberry. If I have a relation that want to use it, usually I send it thru attachment in an email. But as I said, it is very limited to the person you know just the same as thru the Google Beta-Alpha program.

 

[thedesolatesoul]

Hi eps, thanks for your suggestion.
The problem I did not have many relations that use Android. Mostly still Blackberry. If I have a relation that what to use it, usually I send it thru attachment in an email. But as I said, it is very limited to the person you know just the same as thru the Google Beta-Alpha program.

So if you want to gain a wider audience, post it in Test my Apps, and maybe post a link to that forum from Share my creations. Although to be honest that doesnt make sense to me, but if you think more people will see it.
Also you can post on other forums like xda etc.
Or come on the chatroom and find and meet new people

 

[drachmad]

Hi thedesolatesoul, thanks for your concern.
It seem you never sleep like Erel do, or you sleep in front of B4A site?
I have follow what you told, "Share your creations" then "Test my apps" with minimal feedback.