...add this to analytics and we most certainly have a conspiracy going on here.
 
 

A) I think this is a terrific idea!
 
B) I'll stick to the regular release schedule.
 
I get my SS check on the 4th Wednesday of the month. If the SS department started a program to let me get my check one week earlier, what would that buy me? One week. Once.
 
But I say "the more, the merrier!" Sometimes, it's the odd use cases that someone such as myself might generate (being an amateur/hobbyist/deranged former engineer), that hit boundary conditions that cause exceptions that "normal" beta testers might never encounter.
 
Ooh, rah! The Bakers rock. And roll.
 
And when we're not looking? The Macarena!
 

I think I'll do more or less what I always do, and do the updates when I'm not right in the middle of something. Sometimes that'll be early, sometimes it'll be late.

IS this a "flack" trap? If something comes up on early access and the feedback is similar to LANDR and analytics, will you put it back in the oven for a while?

I believe this is answered by Q2 of the OP

Jim Lima [Cakewalk]
 
How Specifically Does this Help Users?
 
Much in the spirit of no longer holding features back until a single major release once a year, we want to give interested users the option to obtain software updates earlier. Although we won’t be able to make changes to the code (at that point it’s frozen), this will allow us to gather feedback on the release sooner for incorporation into future updates or hot fixes. Participation is 100% optional.
 

ampfixer
IS this a "flack" trap? If something comes up on early access and the feedback is similar to LANDR and analytics, will you put it back in the oven for a while?

I am not sure about this . I think there has been as much, if not more, positive response to these as there has been negative.

Great idea guys.  Happy to take the early release for a spin on months where I am not in the middle of critical tasks,  and equally happy to know others have been testing the regular release for a week before I download it on months that I have. 

I'm in. No risk, no fun!

ampfixer
IS this a "flack" trap? If something comes up on early access and the feedback is similar to LANDR and analytics, will you put it back in the oven for a while?

What makes you think LANDR and Analytics should have been "put back in the oven"?
 

Excellent idea. More eyes on the "release candidate" the better.
 
If I read it correctly, it will almost never be changed before the formal release unless of course there is a show stopper across many users (that can be proven it's in SONAR and not a users setup).