Does beta mean anything anymore?

I’m currently testing ReceiptWallet 2.0 beta and have been getting reports from people that say they’re using ReceiptWallet 2.0 (not saying beta) and are mad that they have problems. While I can understand being mad about having problems, but that’s why it is in beta so that people test it. I have several warnings indicating that the software is not finished and to backup data, but people seem to ignore those warnings. In my preferences, I have “Look for Beta Versions and Releases” as an option; I’m not sure people understand what Beta means, so I’ve changed it to “Look for Untested Versions and Releases”. Could that be clearer? When my website is redone, I’ll also make sure that any references to beta also indicate “untested”.

I think that developers have diluted the term beta by just throwing stuff out there and getting people to try it; for instance, look on VersionTracker for items that are beta versions. They are just mixed in with everything else and the unsuspecting consumer, says “oh, a new version, let me get it.” without realizing that beta means “untested”. I don’t throw my beta versions on VersionTracker because I want people to make a conscious effort to get the versions.