Why do I beta?

 I was asked once why do I beta. What's in it for me? What makes me want to keep doing such demanding work for little to no recognition (though, in my case, that is the furthest from the truth)?

And I couldn't, at first, come up with anything beyond the simple "because I love doing it".

But then it got me thinking... By doing it, I get to meet new people under a banner of 'shared interest and common goal'. It isn't like meeting someone randomly at a bar or a coffee shop. You already have preset predilections that make the interactions, at first, easier, and through that, a deeper relationship can blossom. 

It makes you care for the story, and in doing so, you end up caring for the person writing it. And when that happens, you end up discovering new 'realities' and your perspective about the world changes.

Even though I love seeing my knowledge and skills grow over time, that has never been the primary reason for me to keep doing it. My first question to any author that accepts working with me has always been: How can I make your life easier? It's all about facilitating the author's life, so we get more frequent updates, get better-written stories due to their diminished need of post-editing.

But after a while, even this 'primary reason' becomes second to the person writing it. I once mentioned this to an author, how her story, which was a favourite of mine for months, actually stopped being the reason I talked to her, and she became a dear dear friend.

I think it's hard to work and chat nearly daily with someone, share ideas and ideals with them, and not end developing a friendship, or at least a comradery with them, for working towards a shared goal.

So, to answer the question of why do I beta? Because of the people behind it.