[UPHPU] web-based project management software

[Matt Hildebrand]

What I'm trying to say here is that:
1) We're not a dev group, we're a QA group.
2) We needed a solution that fit our needs so we made it to our
requirements and our manager's priorities first (for which cross-browser
compatability was not on the list).
3) You're NOT our customer for the 1.0 version, the other people in our
office are. You ARE our customer for the 1.5 version, which will, of
course, include cross-browser compatability.
4) Because this is being developed by QA and not Dev, and because we are
all open source affectionados, and because upper management has no
current interest in trying to turn a profit on this, the product is
being open sourced -- as sad as it is, this is kindof a footnote to the
product, not one of the major points.
5) You've done enough development work to know that with every project
there are priorities, some of which are unable to be met due to
scheduling constraints. Initially, we were doing cross-browser work.
However, as soon as IE7 blew up our CSS files (and then "fixed" lots of
their problems causing them to blow up again) and for reasons of
internal priorities, our core team decided to put UI cleanup on hold
until 1.5--which included cross-browser compatability. You've also done
enough design work to know that complicated UI work is not always easy
to get right on one browser, let alone 5.
6) Only one person on our team for this (me) has done any real web
design before, and only two of us have any real programming experience.
So, there's been a steep learning curve for the rest of the team and a
lot of cleanup and mentoring that the senior members have had to do
because of that. So, while my time COULD have been spent making
everything look pretty everywhere, I was REQUIRED to spend my time
getting/keeping the core functionality of the app's backend stable.
7) As far as our company's product line goes, there is actually quite a
bit of work that goes into UI development during each release cycle.

Personally, I agree with you. I think it's sad that cross-browser
compatibility was a lower priority as well. However, the boss said that
he doesn't care what it looks like as long as it gets the job done
first.

(And yes, my personal projects/contract web development work DOES put a
high priority on UI design.)

Sorry about the list, sometimes it's easier for me to think in bullet
points rather than prose :) And I hope that this discussion hasn't been
insulting or offensive, I've rather enjoyed the friendly banter.

--Matt

-----Original Message-----
From: uphpu-bounces at uphpu.org [mailto:uphpu-bounces at uphpu.org] On Behalf
Of Wade Preston Shearer
Sent: Friday, November 10, 2006 11:54 AM
To: UPHPU General Discussion
Subject: Re: [UPHPU] web-based project management software

> We had other things higher on our priority list than cross-browser  
> compatibility. (Most of the problems are, of course, due to CSS  
> rendering issues. And, FYI, my primary browser of choice is  
> Firefox.) Our plans are to have full cross-browser support, but  
> that isn't going to happen until the 1.5 release of the product.

I don't mean to be rude or sound arrogant, but this is exactly my  
point. From what you have described, I will apply the same criticisms  
to your organization as I did to SimplyPM. It sounds like your  
problems are either a lack of skill or apathy. Cross-browser  
rendering success is such a simple thing to achieve that it is  
unacceptable for a website or web application to only work in certain  
browsers. I think that it's sad that cross-browser compatibility is  
not a priority for your organization. To me, your customer, that is a  
slap in the face. By developing for "[your] primary browser" instead  
of mine (or just the standards so that it works in any browser),  
you're saying that you care more about yourself them me.