The Lucid Developer

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Time Line's

Time Line (tIm-"lIn)

1 : a table listing important events for successive years within a particular historical period
2 usually time·line /'tIm-"lIn/ : a schedule of events and procedures

There is no word in the English language that brings more anxiety to me then "Time lines". When you hear it you know a few things. One, that your client doesn't think you are doing it fast enough. Two, your clients feels you need more accountability. Or Three, someone doesn't feel that your doing everything in your power and need to do more.

It is hard for a company to decide whether to give time lines or not. There are major companies that do not give any launch date or time lines to the public. Blizzard is one of those such companies. They make such lovely games as World of warcraft and the starcraft games. They give time lines such as
"this year", "in the fall", "when it gets done", and "we can give you no times at this time". I with my clients could live with such dates. But no, I have such hard dates as Feb 1st in the A.M. . Some day I would like to not live and die but these hard and fast day. Because you never like to tell a client that you are not going to make there date. But that is the date they told there customers, so it makes you and them look bad.

Just keep it internal and life will be good.

Never eat cookies off your Yumm Yums.