Google has now invited participants in its (Gmail) email browser to contribute to its future development.

In a way, it's a first.

A first because Google has not explicitly done this before.

A paradoxical second because of several reasons:

1. Google has published many programs as "Beta"
2. "Beta" usually means pre-release and not available to the wider public
3. Usually, Beta testers have a lot of input into a product before final launch

Beta testing is ubiquitously common in the software world, and Google seems to now be embracing the approach more fully, and actually using a full "beta" model.

This is good for Google, and it's users, for the following reasons:

• Perception: Google looks good because they're becoming more open and inclusive
• Many hands make light work: a lot of testing is outsourced from Google to a voluntary workforce
• Quality: Google releases a product it's users had input to so it more fully meets their needs

Will we see more user-involvement in Google's testing?

I think it's a trend that's likely to continue. 

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Here's the full article on the BBC website