Perpetual beta is a neologic term used to describe software or systems that are never called the beta stage. They always stay as a beta version. It is usually used by developers to enable new opportunities to be made available without fully testing. It goes without saying that perpetual beta is not suitable for critical systems. However, in many already operational systems, it is believed that this perpetual beta stage leads to faster and more flexible development, scanning, and implementation of new versions. Definition
Perpetual beta is a term used for (software) development and implementation of a service where constant updates provide the basis for the usefulness of a service. According to publisher and open source lawyer Tim O'Reilly:
"Users must be treated as co-developers, as it works in open source development practice (even if the software in question is not released under an open source license.)
The open source release, released early and quite often, has in fact been transformed into a more radical viewpoint, the perpetual beta, in which the product has been developed in all openness, with new features and improvements subsequently frequent, monthly, weekly or even daily. It's no coincidence that services like Gmail, Google Maps, Flickr, del.icio.us and similar have been wearing a 'Beta' logo for years. "
Used in the larger dialog of the Web 2.0 definition, O'Reilly describes the concept of eternal beta as part of a customized internet environment with these applications as distinctive features:
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