My name is Dan, and I am part of the Customer Care Previews Team at WebTV Networks. I'd like to take a moment to explain what happens before new software is released.

Have you ever wondered about the software used to run your WebTV Internet terminal?

As you all know, we here at WebTV Networks work very hard to provide you with a continually expanding and improving service. One of the ways we do this is by giving you software upgrades that provide you with exciting new features. The WebTV Internet terminal is probably the first ever electronic appliance that upgrades itself for free. An upgrade is not a simple process, however, and much planning, testing and re-planning is necessary to bring you new features.

Before it is released, new software actually goes through a series of tests performed by many groups of people. One of the final groups includes WebTV Network customers who are part of our Previews Program. What the Previewers do is called beta testing. Its an essential part of this process.

Software reaches "beta" status when it works well enough to test, but not well enough to be released to a general audience. This beta software is put to test by a group of people we call Previewers. They make sure that there are no "bugs" in the final version of the software. A "bug" is a term used to describe an error in the software that needs to be fixed for it to run correctly. My job is to keep in close contact with our Previewers through on-line questionnaires, e-mail, and by phone, so that we can report their findings to Quality Assurance and get rid of all the bugs.

Some bugs are minor and only require a small change, but some are much more significant and require a lot of work on the part of our engineers to correct. We want to find bugs as soon as possible, which is why we have Previewers (some of whom call themselves "bug squashers"). When all the bugs have been eliminated, the software is released to the public.

Who makes up this group of bug squashers? There are people from all sorts of backgrounds in our group. We have people of all ages, from teens to seniors. Some of these people have a lot of technical experience, including the Internet, but for many of them, the WebTV Network has been an introduction into the world of hi-tech. Each one of these testers is important, as they bring a different perspective to their use of the WebTV Network and Internet terminal. Because of this variety, the service gets a full workout, and we are able to catch any bugs, even ones that are hiding in dark corners.

There are some up sides and some down sides to being a Previewer. One of the good things is that you get to work with new features, which can be very exciting. The down side however, is all the bugs! Sometimes these are barely noticeable, but some are annoying and can even make the service very difficult to use. This can be very frustrating, and we rely on our testers to overcome this frustration and keep using the service. It is not an easy job, and we really appreciate the efforts of our Previewers. Without them, you would not be getting the quality service you have become accustomed to.

Another thing I do as a member of the Previews Team is keep the other members of Customer Care up to date on new software. Customer Care is made up of experts on using the present software, but the Previews Team learns about new software as it develops. When it's ready to be released, we share our knowledge with the rest of Customer Care so you can always call and speak with someone who can help you get the most out of the latest software release.

We'd like to thank our Previews team for finding the bugs before they sneak their way into your homes all over the country. We wouldn't want to be responsible for any pest problems!