I might be wrong, but I never saw the EA advertised as anything like a beta program. Any changes made as a result of feedback or data collection is largely incidental; the purpose of the EA was to generate cash flow and bulk data. The truth is; unless you are an employee of the developer, getting too invested is a route to disappointment and that almost always manifests itself in negative emotion. Sadly this has also been evident in Niara's recent forum post as well. These programs offer a lot to a developer, but for those who partake they should be very much taken at face value. That said; I understand from prior experience how easy it is to fall down that rabbit hole, and I can only hope participating in the EA hasn't soured the game for too many people.