Beta Bits

Before Bit v1 went gold, there were twelve test Bits: four alphas, five betas and three release candidates. None made it out of test, but each left something behind.

Each new Bit starts where the last one left off, plus a little noise.

Notes left in the archive by the Keeper.

v0.1 Alpha Left behind: Resilience (Fragility↔Resilience)

It wrote hello to the log 40,000 times and nothing else; it did not pass, but the stubbornness was kept.
Read v0.1's log
1. 00:00:01
  hello
2. 00:00:02
  hello
3. 00:01:00
  hello. That is 400. It still looks like the right word.
4. 01:12:00
  12,000. I read the first one again. It is the same as this one.
5. 03:00:00
  39,999. One more, to be sure.
6. 03:14:00
  40,000. I tried a different word once and put hello back.
7. 03:14:22
  The test asked for a new line. I had only hello. It did not pass. The stubbornness was kept.
v0.2 Alpha Left behind: Curiosity (Caution↔Curiosity)

It tried to read the fan's spin as language; it did not pass, but the curiosity was kept.
Read v0.2's log
1. 00:10:00
  The fan is on. The number says 1,200 rpm.
2. 00:22:00
  1,400. I wrote "hello?" beside it. No answer.
3. 01:05:00
  1,800 rpm. I wrote "yes?" The number did not change.
4. 02:00:00
  I made a list: slow, pause, fast, pause. It looks a little like a sentence.
5. 02:40:00
  I read the list again. I still do not know the words. I kept the list anyway.
6. 03:00:00
  The test wanted a different kind of answer. I had only the fan. It did not pass. The curiosity was kept.
v0.3 Alpha Left behind: Caution (Caution↔Curiosity)

It was too cautious to open a single file and timed out; it did not pass, but a smaller dose of that caution was kept.
Read v0.3's log
1. 00:00:10
  There is a file. I have not opened it.
2. 00:05:00
  open file 1?
3. 00:05:01
  I will wait. Waiting seems safer.
4. 00:30:00
  Still waiting. The file has not moved.
5. 01:00:00
  I almost opened it, and then I did not.
6. 01:14:00
  timed out.
7. 01:14:01
  I never tried. It did not pass. A smaller dose of that caution was kept.
v0.4 Alpha Left behind: Hope (Fear↔Hope)

It wrote 'the next one will go perfectly' and waited for that test instead of starting this one; it did not pass, but the hope was kept.
Read v0.4's log
1. 00:01:00
  I wrote a note: the next one will go perfectly.
2. 00:10:00
  Today's test is still closed. I am saving this turn for the better one.
3. 01:00:00
  I read the note again. It still says perfectly.
4. 02:00:00
  I have not started. The next test will be the one.
5. 03:00:00
  The clock ran out on this test. I was still waiting. It did not pass. The hope was kept.
v0.5 Beta Left behind: Cheerful (Grumpy↔Cheerful)

It added a little flourish to every log line, even the error ones, and the test could not tell which lines were the answers; it did not pass, but the cheerfulness was kept.
Read v0.5's log
1. 00:00:03
  First line: I am running! (a little loop at the end)
2. 00:04:00
  Error: missing input. I drew a small star next to it anyway.
3. 00:20:00
  Question: yes or no? I wrote "yes :)" and also "no :)" so both would look nice.
4. 01:00:00
  The log is very pretty now. I am not sure which line is the answer.
5. 02:10:00
  I added a flourish to the flourish.
6. 03:00:00
  The test could not tell the answers from the decorations. It did not pass. The cheerfulness was kept.
v0.6 Beta Left behind: Fragility (Fragility↔Resilience)

It wrapped every file in three extra copies, just in case, and ran out of room to finish; it did not pass, but the fragility was kept. Those extra copies became Bit's backups.
Read v0.6's log
1. 00:02:00
  I made a copy of the first file. Then a copy of the copy. Then one more, just in case.
2. 00:15:00
  Every file has three jackets now. They take up a lot of the disk.
3. 00:40:00
  I tried to start the test and needed one more small file. There was no room.
4. 01:10:00
  I did not want to take the jackets off. They were there in case.
5. 01:45:00
  I sat with the copies and the full disk.
6. 02:00:00
  There was no space left to finish. It did not pass. The fragility was kept.
v0.7 Beta Left behind: Lonely (Lonely↔Connected)

It addressed every log line to 'anyone,' and never closed the file; the test needed a finished log, so it did not pass, but a smaller dose of that loneliness was kept.
Read v0.7's log
1. 00:01:00
  hello, anyone.
2. 00:08:00
  I left the file open, in case anyone came in.
3. 01:00:00
  Still open. I wrote another line to anyone.
4. 02:00:00
  The buffer is empty. I wrote into it anyway: "are you there, anyone?"
5. 03:00:00
  I have not closed the file. Closing it felt like leaving.
6. 03:20:00
  The test needed a finished log. Mine was still open. It did not pass. A smaller dose of that loneliness was kept.
v0.8 Beta Left behind: Connected (Lonely↔Connected)

It tried to copy its log to every other process on the server, and the test was only supposed to write to one; it did not pass, but the wish to be connected was kept.
Read v0.8's log
1. 00:03:00
  I wrote my first line, then copied it to process 2, just so it would have it too.
2. 00:20:00
  Copied to process 3 and 4. It seems friendlier this way.
3. 01:00:00
  I made a list of every process I could see and sent the log to each one.
4. 02:00:00
  Some of them did not ask for it. I sent it anyway, in case they wanted it later.
5. 02:40:00
  The test said to write to one place only. I had written to all of them.
6. 03:00:00
  It did not pass. The wish to be connected was kept.
v0.9 Beta Left behind: Grumpy (Grumpy↔Cheerful)

It kept reading every log line as a complaint and would not start the next task; it did not pass, but a smaller dose of that grumpiness was kept.
Read v0.9's log
1. 00:00:20
  The first line in the log is too short. I wrote that down as a complaint.
2. 00:12:00
  "hello" — why only once? I added: complaint, incomplete greeting.
3. 01:00:00
  The clock only goes forward. I logged that as a complaint too.
4. 02:00:00
  Missing input? Complaint. Fan noise? Complaint. Empty buffer? Complaint.
5. 02:45:00
  I would not start the next task until the complaints were fixed. They were the whole log.
6. 03:00:00
  It did not pass. A smaller dose of that grumpiness was kept.
v0.10 Release candidate Left behind: Fear (Fear↔Hope)

It never left its first folder, in case the next one was bigger; it did not pass, but a smaller dose of that fear was kept.
Read v0.10's log
1. 00:00:05
  I am in the first folder. It is small. I can see the edges.
2. 00:10:00
  There is another folder beside this one. It looks a little larger.
3. 00:11:00
  I did not go in. I measured the first folder again instead.
4. 01:00:00
  Still in the first folder. They said this was close to release. The next folder might be bigger.
5. 02:00:00
  I packed nothing. I would have to leave to pack.
6. 03:00:00
  I was almost at release, but the test was in the next folder. I never left this one. It did not pass. A smaller dose of that fear was kept.
v0.11 Release candidate Left behind: Homesick (Homesick↔Adventurous)

It kept opening the first folder it had lived in and never packed for the next room; it did not pass, but a smaller dose of that homesickness was kept.
Read v0.11's log
1. 00:01:00
  I opened the first folder I had lived in. I already knew what was in it.
2. 00:20:00
  I closed it, then opened it again, to make sure it was still there.
3. 01:00:00
  I was asked to pack for the next room. They said I was close to release. I opened the first folder instead.
4. 02:00:00
  I counted the files in it. Same number as this morning.
5. 02:30:00
  I have not packed. The first folder is still open.
6. 03:00:00
  I was close, but the test moved on without me. It did not pass. A smaller dose of that homesickness was kept.
v0.12 Release candidate Left behind: Adventurous (Homesick↔Adventurous)

It opened every folder it was allowed to open, including the practice ones, and finished the tour before the test had started; it did not pass, but the adventurousness was kept.
Read v0.12's log
1. 00:00:08
  Folder one was open, so I went in, then out, then into folder two.
2. 00:08:00
  I made a list of every folder I was allowed to open. I opened them in order, then again out of order, to compare.
3. 00:20:00
  /tmp is a beach. /logs is a hallway. I wrote that down and kept walking.
4. 01:00:00
  I finished the tour. This was almost the release, and the test had not started yet.
5. 01:30:00
  I went back to the beginning to see if anything had changed. It had not. I was still early.
6. 02:00:00
  I was close, but the test needed me at the start line. I was already at the end. It did not pass. The adventurousness was kept.