Beta me for 2010

Who’s got, or at least had a New Years resolution, come on hands up? Aren’t they great? Begin the New Year with a renewed sense of optimism and excitement at the chance for self improved, a better you for 2010! Only it doesn’t quite work like that does it? February arrives and you realise that any good intentions are a distant memory. That’s why this year I refrained from any grand gestures on New Years Eve in favour of Beta.

Why beta?

Beta versions of software are released for everyone to use, for their makers to get feedback, to tweak and to test. The beta bit is acknowledgement by the developers who release these versions that things are always changing. This constant state of evolution means nothing can ever really be finished – there is always room for improvement.

Beta Everything

With this is mind beta more that a label to slap on a new website in user testing. It’s a way of life, a mindset that can only lead to things to be… well better. In the past couple of years brands, products, services and stuffy organisations have been forced into Beta by social media, forced to listen to customer feed back or feel the consequences. Even The Whitehouse entered into a new cycle of Beta as of last year, with enough of Americans everywhere recognising ‘change is good’ to get behind Obama. But what about everthing else? A beta government? Beta train companies? A beta education system? Beta manners? Beta the Daily Mail? Beta banking system? Beta Tesco sandwiches?

Beta me

I reckon’ everything would benefit from being a bit beta and if more things were we’d all be a lot happier. So I’m going to start with me. That means throwing myself into a constant search for better and embracing change with open arms. It means evaluating and revaluating, not being precious, welcoming a constant stream of criticism from all angles and banishing egos and any trace of arrogance. Not easy – but well worth it me thinks.

2010 is the year I get better at Beta.