Xbox one beta testing?

I was one of the first to beta test the Xbox One experience.

You will get an Xbox message on your Xbox One if you are invited to beta test. The last update was special in that it rehauled a lot of the underlying party system, making it incompatible with the previous system. This will not be the case when moving forward,
so you should be fine partying with friends who are in the beta.

I only wish this were true...

Beta testing (games, consoles, etc) USED to be a huge asset to developers, but this died somewhere between the release dates of EQ and WoW

Before: Anyone could apply to be a beta tester, but only the best got in. It helped to know someone. Applications included game experience, testing experience, NDAs and actual communication with the developers, who doubled as community managers. Bugs
got reported, suggestions were made, and things got done.

Today: Anyone can still apply, but its not really a beta. Many applications have been replaced with pre-orders, or selections are made based on forum activity. NDA's sometimes apply, but these betas are actually previews (Thanks, MS, for being the first
to call them what they truly have become). In games, 'testers' play (the best the devs hope for is stress testing their servers), and of those 'testers', most don't post or report a thing, and of those who do, only 10-20% actually report bugs or provide feedback.
In many cases, public discussion is encouraged, in order to boost potential sales.

I'm an elder geek. I come from a day when patching software was unthinkable; when products HAD to work on release, because the consumer would return it for refund, or would spread the word not to buy it in the first place. Now we've advanced ourselves
to the point were products are released incomplete, and developed in the post-consumer market. Ironicly, I type this post on my X1...

</soapbox>

TLTR? In short, buy any game. You're now a beta-tester. If you're interested in becoming a participant in the X1 Preview program, I believe they have closed applications at this time (we had a small window of 'bring your friends in', but thats gone, now).
I'm sure that, when the need arises, MS will make a public announcement for applicants.

LOL, cue Boromir's voice. "One does not simply walk into beta... its green gates are guarded by more than just mods and MS devs...."

I believe I read a post in the new build update forums that says the "invite a friend to the preview" forum is being reworked, so in the future there should again be an option for us to invite you to the beta. As of right now, there's no way to request that
invite, though.

One does not simply request to be a beta tester, one is chosen. lol sorry. But if you are active in different forums and communities, for different companies and developers and things. You will come across opportunities to beta test all sorts of products
and programs. I have been beta testing things for Microsoft for years, and have always been part of dashboard betas, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. I guess you just have to know where to look. I was under the impression we could invite someone to beta test the updates,
but I have not been able to find out how to do so.