Thanks Zyth of WiNBETA for telling me he received his invite to the SQL Server 2000 SP3 Program that is due to start on Oct 1st 2002. This is what he got:
Ladies, Gentlemen:
Thanks for joining the SQL Server 2000 SP3 beta program! We are excited to have you on board - and with your help I hope to make this the best SQL Server Beta program ever! We are implementing several of your suggestions from past beta programs including the introduction of a "Beta Testing Cookbook".
The cookbook was written by leads from around the development team and it highlights significant changes in Service Pack 2 and it recommends ways to test those changes! This will contribute significantly to helping you understand how SQL Server is different and how it affects your environments.
We are also giving you an opportunity to plan your testing prior to the betas release. Service Pack 3 is expected to go into Beta on October 1st, 2002. In the mean time, you have been granted access to www.betaplace.com where you'll find the Beta Testing Cookbook, the current SP3 fix list and a couple of testing plan templates you can use to put a formal plan in place.