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by Daniel Berger.
Original Post: The psychology of (version) numbers
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Yes, I know this isn't an original topic, but here it goes...
I was reading DHH's blog regarding the notion that Rails is in its "infancy". Andres commented that the version number gave him the willies. Alex then followed up with, "I can't believe people can look at the version number and make a decision like that...".
It's easy to ridicule someone for something like that, but it has a psychological basis that can't be ignored, and you better get used to the fact that version numbering matters. You see, there's something magical about the version number in terms of perception, rather than reality.
This same sort of psychology has spilled over into other areas of our life. Do you have a checking account? What number did you start your checks with? I'll bet it wasn't 101. Why? Because businesses got nervous with low check numbers, and started to refuse checks with a number lower than X. Consequently, banks started offering to start your check numbers at pretty much whatever you wanted to get around it.
Another somewhat related example is price structure. I've heard more than one story of products that started selling better after they raised the price. The notion being that if it's very expensive, it must be very good. But I digress.
The version numbering issue isn't such a huge deal for standalone packages, but OS programmers writing applications should take heed. We have a habit of of starting our code with 0.1 rather than 1.0 because, in our minds, the 1.0 release is the "final, perfect" version that we ultimately strive for, but can never quite accomplish. I know. I do it often. Many programmers do. But, when you've got an application you're trying to promote/sell, this is something you had better take seriously because, like it or not, it can alter the way people react to your product. And so, you can start your version at 1.0 to alleviate the apprehensiveness that is sometimes caused by a 0.x version number.
Having said that, I still think there's an onus of responsibility on OS programmers when it comes to version numbering. If you know your product is alpha, and that the API could change dramatically in the next release, I think it would be irresponsible to release it as 1.0.
Back to Rails. Is Rails ready for 1.0? I think it is. I'll bet it's a higher quality product than, say, Oracle 1.0 or MS Word 1.0 ever were. ;)
Next week: why good looking people will go farther than you for no good reason. ;)
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