To Develop or To Wait? That is the question...

We've all been witnessing the debates going on within the Unity Community of lately concerning D7 vs. D6.  People who are both new and those who have been around for awhile are as split on this without rhyme or reason as people can be split on Politics, Religion, Abortion, Music and Seinfeld. 

On one side of the debate we have those who attest passionately that they are waiting on Boonex to release D7 so they can move forward with project developments that they have in mind.  These individuals site the long list of functionality that D7 has in comparison to D6 and there desire to not waste developmental dollars on a D6 project when they feel that Boonex is poised to deliver D7 (Yes, I'm choosing my words very very very carefully here, you may substitute "poised" with your own personal view, just don't put that word in my mouth please.) any day now. 

On the opposite side of the debate we have the individuals who attest passionately the D6 is a stable environment capable of fulfilling the needs of projects today and should be developed and utilized now to inject fresh dollars into your budget while you await D7.  Their is logic behind this type of thought process as their is behind the former side.

I personally can not objectively speak for the former side of the debate, as I am on the latter side for my own reasons.  For this very reason, I will only point it out as seen from the D6 side and allow those on the D7 side to state their position themselves.  After all, it is their position and I know I could never state it as well as they do.

So, for the sake of forward movement, let me begin this debate with the view of those of us developing D6. 

Dolphin 6.1.6 has been proven in most server environments to be a fully stabilized product that is ready for the average webmaster to begin to utilize for a project today.  While it does not have the full capabilities of D7, it does off a fairly bug-free environment that will get the job done.  However, we're talking about development here, so let's move past the base Dolphin install.

I for one, it is known, have chosen to move forward with development on the D6 Platform with full knowledge that at any time Boonex might release D7 in a stable version that will instantly put me on the path to developing it also for my projects.  Why am I doing this?

1. I'm inpatient.  That is straight up the number one reason.  I have D6 today in a working environment with hundreds of modifications already developed and tested in a stable environment and I'm simply not patient enough to wait for a day that may or may not come tomorrow.
2. It's called double jeopardy.  Let me explain.  The developmental work we're doing with D6 is creating an extremely unique use for it aimed directly at a target industry that has been largely ignored by the software/web industry due to risks that are inherently high with it.  However, the funny part is, that with the proper modification D6 becomes the very tool that minimizes those risks (nothing can eliminate them fully).  Further, we know that D7 will offer an even wider array of products to this same target industry and enable us to market both D6 & D7 product versions simultaneously, further enabling the customer to choose what they want for their specific applications.  In some instances, customers/clients can and will be sold a version of D6 that we develop and will purchase the D7 Developed version later down the road after we finish with it.  Note:  We are creating a system that enables the customer to quickly identify the differences between the two and make a purchase that best fits their needs.  Not all will want and/or need the D7 version.
3. The knowledge obtained conerning development of D6 in regards to php/sql/ajax/css/xml and so on is invaluable.  I personally have put thousands of my own hours into learning how Dolphin goes together and files interact with one another that it's proven that noone can really pass up the opportunity to learn in regards to it.  Look at it this way:  When D6 came out it was considered to be cutting edge technology and only recently have I begun to notice the mainstream sites starting to catch up to the options that D6 has in it, the vast majority are nowhere near the level of D7.  With this in mind, everyone who begins to take the time to learn D6 source coding is actually learning the latest in technology and placing themselves at a huge advantage to your competition.
4. Customer Service:  By delivering a product that my customers can use today I'm meeting their needs.  While their wants are still on hold, the needs are met and they are satisfied.  This token effort enables me to inform them a better version is in the works without overly disclosing to much information and aligns them to come back to ME for the updated version when it is released.  (Okay, I cheat and we fully rebrand what we develop, but that's not illegal, just smart)

In the end, it comes down to this:  By developing D6 today and selling it to our customers/clients we are meeting their needs.  This in turn creates a sense of goodwill and a certain sense of obligation for them to come back to us for purchases they will inevitably make tomorrow.  Remember, technology is constantly developing and absolutely nothing will work on the web forever.  Eventually D7 will be considered old technology.  When my team steps up and delivers a sound version of D6 that has been fully developed to the customer the rest is basically done for us.  That in the end is what the customer cares about, how can we meet their needs today.

A good example of this might be:  I've been shopping over the past week for new truck, I know exactly what I want and don't want and I'm a complete pain in that I won't settle.  I'm going to drive this thing for 5 years so I'm getting what I want and not what they have.  Well, the version I want has very specific options, from the engine to the color to the interior to the creature comforts.  What makes this so hard is that the vast majority are manufactured with a horid wood grain on the interior (obviously I can't stand it) and only a small percentage of all made don't have it.  As I've been out looking and shopping I've had multiple dealerships tell me they will try to locate the exact truck I want, which is great.  But that doesn't mean I'm going to sit on my hands and wait by the phone, rather I am still out there looking for the truck I want, and if I find it before they do then so be it. 

Customers are the same way if your developing software for the purpose of selling to them to meet their needs.  While they are appreciative of what you might be able to do for them in the future, as I am apreciative that a dealer or 9 is looking for the truck I want, they still want to be able to utilize a product today and will do what they need to do to get it.  While some are awaiting the release of D7 to move forward and meet a clients needs, you are basically telling those customers that they need to put their business on hold until Boonex finishes up 7.  Not many companies are going to do that, as they need to fill their registers up with cash today, not next year. 

This is why we made the choice to develop D6 into a suitable product for our clients, as it meets the needs of today and generates a sense of obligation for tomorrow.