RE: enhancement vs. bug

["Paul Tiger" <tigerp@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Many years ago I worked for what is now Colorado Medtech. In my lab was an
Intel MDS/ICE Intelec PROM burner and in-circuit emulator. A behemoth of
monstrous proportions, really a mini-computer, and buggy as hell. Every few
weeks it would start eating ROMs and Z80 processors - burning them up. We
found that the key fix was to NEVER turn the MDS off.

One morning I arrived and found a wonderful cartoon taped over the power
switch. Two frames, the first showed a nasty looking cockroach standing like
a person and munching goodies, under which was the caption "BUG"; the second
frame showed the same cockroach now dressed in a tux and tails, smoking a
cigar, with hand tools in each claw (all of them), under which was the
caption "FEATURE". Scribbled below was a note from the chief engineer that
said, "Dress it up Tiger, dress it up."
Thus, for many years while structuring my language while talking to
potential and current customers this image would float in my mind. A bug is
a feature all dressed up!

Paul Tiger

When I was in marketing at the last company I worked for we changed the term
to Performance Enhancement Package, good Orwellian Marketing-speak!

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