[S180]

I am not sure if the OP understands software development and release methodologies at all. Software is never formally announced until all the development, testing, product management and marketing teams sign off on the release.

Here's a typical scenario that can happen if BBRY did what OP wants them to do. Let's say that the internal schedule for WhatsApp release is next week. BBRY then goes public and says WhatsApp is coming next week. Yet teams haven't signed off on the release. 3 days later, a major bug is found. The date now has to be pushed back, and is a source of embarrassment for the company. This is the typical reason why the exact date is never announced until the very late. This is why a really rough timeline is often what gets announced first, e.g. "March 2013 release for WhatsApp".

Pre-empting what OP would say, yes finding a major bug just before a release is not ideal. But this is software development, things like this happen all the time. Maybe the bug was regression, in that it didn't exist on the day BBRY made the announcement, but a software change 2 days later caused the bug. Very typical kind of scenario.

I have to laugh when arm chair experts act like they know how to run a company better than the company itself. In a few cases they have a point, more often than not they have no iea what they are talking about.

[MoolahMitch]

I am still in shock this thread even exists but this is what the forum is for.

S180 and Kevin said all that needs to be said on the main reasons people are secretive, its clearer to them for different reasons such as working in software development and media. Its the same reasons journalists protect their sources. If Kevin and CrackBerry leaked stuff that they were given in confidence, they would lose the trust of their sources and a steady stream of information.

[dannyd86]

Good thread. I like debates and conversations like this. I always kind of chuckle when CrackBerry gets called out on any sort of secret plots of conspiracies or things like that.

The first thing I do is checkout when the person posting became a member. In this case, January 2011. Not bad... but not February 2007... still missing out on several years of CrackBerry member history. Look, we've been running CrackBerry for a long time now. I honestly think we've been through it all. And anybody who's been through the entire ride, the entire journey along the day one, knows the way we "play the game and get in the thick of it". We've been very consistent.

We ALWAYS try and get away with whatever we can get away with when it comes to giving back to our community - whether it's info, things to download (that shouldn't be available to download), contest prizes and anything and everything else. We try and push that line to the limits. Always. In the case where we can't give all back that we can, there's always a reason... which we never can really bring attention to at the time of the post for sort of obvious reasons, that I guess are not always as obvious as I think they are. It's pretty simple. Sometimes we get stuff. The people we get stuff from say "don't distribute this, I don't want to get fired" and then that's that. We wouldn't want to compromise anything. So in the case of an instagram, we game you guys as much as we could at the time. A tease? Absolutely. Better than nothing? I think so.

As for other things like device release dates and app availability and all that... honestly, sometimes we don't know. Or if we hear things, we're not always willing to put it out there because our confidence level in the info is not that high yet. Over the years we've learned that things change. A lot. Especially things like release dates. Carriers can push them back all they want, so even when you think you have a concrete date it can change. And on the app story side of things, right now things are a bit confusing. I'd love to see more communication from BlackBerry and app devs on this front. I'm sure BlackBerry would like to tell the app story more too - they know how important apps are to the long term success of the platform, and I know they're working hard to onboard apps to the platform. So I'm not sure that it's BlackBerry ou can blame for being "secret about apps" here... I think they're in a similar boat... they can only say what they're able to say, based on the relationships they're working with developers on. And again.. devs don't want to stick to release dates, as it's so easy for them to get pushed back. Heck.. look at our CrackBerry website relaunch. We were full speed ahead aiming for January 20th. It turned into March 6th. Had I been smarter, I would never have mentioned a redesign was coming and just dropped it on the site as a surprise. You can't be late to launch if nobody knows.

With the US launch coming soon, I do think you will see more apps start to hit BB World, and a little more communication from devs as they get closer to their release dates.

Glad you noticed this thread, crackberry had been good overall. Take Adams blog today about Kindle within 2 weeks for example. Strait forward. Now if he had said "A big name app within 2 weeks, pick the right number from 1 to 10 and ill let you know which One" I would have lost my mind lol.

I'm shur some people like the excitement of the surprise and all that. But if we did a poll I bet it drives more people crazy. Who knows though, maybe it's because of this head cold I've got and wanting to rip my face off today.

As for the other guys saying I don't know how to run a business. I'm not trying too. I'm speaking from the point of view of the consumer. I completely understand the process they go through. And if Kindle came out and said sorry guys we found a problem we should have it fixed in a week. I'd be perfectly fine with that. CrackBerry site redesign had tons of "Deadline" extentions but it was vocal and nobody was left in the dark. It is what it is.

If you want a good example of public/media/consumer relations whatever we wanna call it. Take UFC president Dana White. Watch any of his press conferences. Love that guy

Posted via CB10

[darkehawke]

Not sure what the people who are claiming that delayed software is the reason to be secretive are going on about.
Why would that stop blackberry naming an app that is due for release?
I doubt it has anything to do with developers and it is more to do with trying to build excitement. Except it just doesn't work.

Posted via CB10

[darkehawke]

On a side note. No one would begrudge an app being delayed. Well most people wouldn't.
Certainly the majority of people would rather have an app that worked properly rather than an app that didn't work and needed updates

Posted via CB10

[Bla1ze]

On a side note. No one would begrudge an app being delayed. Well most people wouldn't.
Certainly the majority of people would rather have an app that worked properly rather than an app that didn't work and needed updates

Posted via CB10

Noooo! People want what they want when they want it and they want it now.. That's how the world works, didn't you know?! lol.

[darkehawke]

Damnit Bla1ze!
i expected a response over an hour ago.
What took you so long! This is why Blackberry will fail!!!!11!!

[kill_9]

There's a twitter app for Android, Carbon for Android, that had a situation that explained why secrecy is sometimes a good thing. The developer said very publically that the app was coming in the 'next few days'...and almost a year later the app arrived. He got absolutely roasted for months over it, and it got ugly.

So I can completely understand why some developers choose secrecy instead - his experience was awful...

A few days and a year later is quite a difference in estimated availability for a developer to make. That developer deserved to be roasted in my opinion although I have no idea about the particular application.

[kill_9]

Damnit Bla1ze!
i expected a response over an hour ago.
What took you so long! This is why Blackberry will fail!!!!11!!

Bla1ze was hunting trolls all night and fell asleep under the bridge and only woke-up a few minutes ago.

[Majestic Lion]

So in the case of an instagram, we gave you guys as much as we could at the time. A tease? Absolutely. Better than nothing? I think so.

Heck.. look at our CrackBerry website relaunch. We were full speed ahead aiming for January 20th. It turned into March 6th. Had I been smarter, I would never have mentioned a redesign was coming and just dropped it on the site as a surprise. You can't be late to launch if nobody knows.

I would very much like to understand how you reconcile these two situations.