Help, about, reads as follows in the beta build we're both using:
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BETA SUPPORT POLICY
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Important Information: This is pre-release (beta) software distributed for
feedback and testing purposes. Microsoft does not provide technical support
for beta products (see below for information about how to gain access to
peer-to-peer newsgroups). If Microsoft AntiSpyware is causing an issue with
your system we recommend removing it by using Add or Remove Programs and
even using System Restore if the problem persists.
support
-------
For more information on the Microsoft AntiSpyware (Beta) product, visit the
Microsoft Spyware page at
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/secu...pyware/product.
Assisted support for this beta product is not available. Once the final
release of Microsoft AntiSpyware has been made publicly available, customers
will be able to contact Product Support Services for help. In the meantime,
we have provided online support resources to help you try out the Microsoft
AntiSpyware beta.
Please visit one or all of these peer-to-peer newsgroups at
http://communities.microsoft.com/new...yware&sLCID=us
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You are in the right place. The feedback here is read by Microsoft,
although individual responses are rare.
This is not a limited technical beta with formal bug reporting and direct
interaction between the participants and Microsoft staff.
This is a public beta--code deemed stable, (although perhaps not polished!)
enough for use by a broad spectrum of customers. The last stat I read
indicated that 6.8 million downloads of this product have been made, and of
those, about 3 million are participating in the Spynet feedback system.
--
FAQ for Microsoft Antispyware:
http://www.geocities.com/marfer_mvp/FAQ_MSantispy.htm
"DugUK" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:105201c51445$2abd11a0$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Though it's called a beta, I haven't been able to find a
> way to report the bugs, flaws and ... 'features' back to
> Microsoft.
>
> Can we presume Microsoft is not interested in the problems
> with this software, and the only reason that it is called a
> 'beta' is that it contains too many bugs to be legally
> 'ignored' with an EULA?
>
> I thought that in software development, a "beta version" of
> a product is one that is still in development but is
> published for testing purpose. The testers report any bugs
> that they found, features they would like to see in the
> final version, etc.
>
> Obviously Microsoft have redefined things again for us,
> just like PNG, CSS, HTML, (need I go on?)
>
> Dug
> dug at gilberd dot com