For the first installment of this series, I’d like to set some parameters. So here are some basic definitions:

Beta Testing - For the purpose of this series, this will refer to testing a website to find bugs (see definition 2) and document them.

Bug - Anything that deviates from the standard or normal function. It’s anything that is not how it’s supposed to be, not just something that generates an error.

Bug Categories

Problems with a website usually come in one of the following categories:

Cosmetic

This is an issue where something doesn’t look right. It could be a misplaced button, improper tab order, or typos. These are issues that won’t stop the site from being used properly but is a distraction. More serious cosmetic issues are ones that lead a customer/user to believe something about the site that is incorrect. For instance a free shipping offer for hard drives that’s actually supposed to be for memory, etc.

Functional

This is an issue where something doesn’t work. For instance, a button that when clicked, doesn’t do anything. Or a product that won’t add to the cart. Anything that is supposed to do something but doesn’t do it correctly. These can range from minor errors to very serious ones.

System Critical

These are considered to be the most serious issues. A system critical bug will shut the user/customer out of the site, freeze up the host computer, or break the site completely. These are usually rare on websites, but when they occur they are devastating.

That’ll do it for now. Our next installment will cover methods for bug discovery.