sigh… roadmaps are important… yes… but the direction is far more important than any dates. Heck we’re all developers! We all tend to give optimistic dates than realistic ones… I’d rather like “it’s ready when it’s finished” then any “Oh it really runs? Ship it!”
[quote=253975:@Norman Palardy]IF we DO say “q1 20xx” and have to miss that for some reason, like apple yanks support for something else so we HAVE to address that, then the “but you promised …” starts
This pattern has been common enough over the last nearly 20 years that we tend to not say anything.
Ask anyone who has been around a long time[/quote]
I am here since REALbasic 1 (some month prior to be exact) and I can confirm.
However, take as an (exception) example the retina support: I do not see that phenomen
My point of view (and I can be plain wrong) is:
When you are confident enough about a time line:
make an announce with milestones (in beta testing around )and previsional release date.
while in development, if you feel something is taking too much time vs the previsional development time frame: make a simple announcement saying: we are encountering delay in the development of <feature-name> and it may sleep a little bit.
Your consumers are not consumers, they are developers, so these people knows what is a schedule and what can arise in the development of something.
Of course, this may have two advantages: freeze the market for this announced feature (let people know you will do that and there is no need for them to waste their time) / allows the developers to get an idea of what will come and make better accurate business plan(s).
IMHO.
And, if people start whining, do like Apple very long time ago: we do not comment on not available products. People would be frustrated, but will understand (I experimented that from the Apple point of view). And give only one answer, that one.
There is really no difference between customers (consumers) and developers.
Anyway, our customers seems to have much more patience than those Xojo fan boys here.
This is a very boring discussion, which seems to come up regularly on this forum.
[quote=254147:@Beatrix Willius]
All of this would be so much easier if you just didn’t make any mistakes like engineers or doctors.
</making fun at Xojo>[/quote]
Hahahahaha … That’s funny
http://engineeringfailures.org
http://www.webmd.com/news/20121220/thousands-mistakes-surgery
[quote=254154:@Emile Schwarz]
And, if people start whining, do like Apple very long time ago: we do not comment on not available products. People would be frustrated, but will understand (I experimented that from the Apple point of view). And give only one answer, that one.[/quote]
This is more or less where we are today for exactly the reasons you’ve cited
Norman, can we have a bit more of more and a bit less of less ?
;-
[quote=253975:@Norman Palardy]The problem with saying whats coming is as soon as we say “here’s what we’re working on” people say “when ?”.
And if we do say “later” or “in the future” people get bent about not saying specifically when.
IF we DO say “q1 20xx” and have to miss that for some reason, like apple yanks support for something else so we HAVE to address that, then the “but you promised …” starts
This pattern has been common enough over the last nearly 20 years that we tend to not say anything.
Ask anyone who has been around a long time[/quote]
I know Apple as I work in a branch of but you can’t arguee everthingy with Apple behavoir. So you announce rather nothing because you fear getting complaints? I am jusking for some pieces of information.
[quote=254177:@Chris Verberne]There is really no difference between customers (consumers) and developers.
Anyway, our customers seems to have much more patience than those Xojo fan boys here.
This is a very boring discussion, which seems to come up regularly on this forum.[/quote]
I don’t agree. Most devs are not fanboy but it’s true the discussion goes nowhere.
We don’t give this info because some users tend to rely on them as gospel and then tell their customers that the feature will be available to them a month later. As others have said, if you want more info, come to XDC in the fall.
[quote=253994:@Christian Schmitz]Maybe you join conference and ask them in person?
Offering a beer at the bar may lead to more details…[/quote]
Usually there is a direct correlation between the amount of beer and the amount of information.
Too much beer though might result in you waking up in a room in Vegas and being married to Norman
No weddings
No rooms - well … the elephant room but thats not “a room” and it definitely wasnt in Vegas
Lots of beer
Meow ! ask @Bob Keeney , @Bruno Frechette or any others from around the table
Meow.
slap
The meme that keeps on giving
Kitty Kat is forever . . .