Dave West wrote an article for InfoQ suggesting that backlogs are very important, in fact essential, if software development is seen as theory building. This article had several readers pinging in with their opinions which were all accross the board. Later, a discussion picked up again on the leanagile Yahoo! Group. The interest and/or conflict that this article indicates that this is a point that can benefit from further clarity.
To that end, InfoQ contacted several thought-leaders in the industry: Mary Poppendieck, Ron Jeffries, Jeff Patton, David West, Steve Freeman, and Jason Yip to explore this issue further. We asked them to address the following points:
- What is the purpose of a backlog in your opinion?
- How would you define a backlog?
- When/where should a backlog be considered waste?
- When/where should a backlog be considered essential?
- Is there a question or questions that I should have asked and I haven't? If so, please ask and answer.
Their answers are presented in Virtual Panel: Is the Backlog a Vital Artifact and Practice or Waste?