[WikiEN-l] Get it working first

Mon Oct 6 13:42:20 UTC 2003

LittleDan suggested:

>Now that the server upgrades are complete and
>wikimedia.org is up, should we send out Wikimedia's
>first press release?

As an software professional I recommend postponing the press release
until:

* the 'upgrade' has been fully tested
* the developers and users are equally impressed with its speed and
reliability

Often new hardware or software works great for a few days before the
first glitch appears. Microsoft is famous (notorious?) for the "Service
Pack 3" phenomenon: they've gotten the reputation that no new software
version is considered reliable until the 3rd "service pack" (i.e., set
of bug fixes) is delivered to customers.

Now our tiny gang of volunteer developers may be more dedicated and
selfless than Microsoft's salaried horde -- but "rush to market" tends
to cause errors. So, I think we should wait a bit.

Ed Poor
Developer, Sysop & Wet Blanket