Hanging back from the cutting edge

The Reverend John Traherne said in The Admirable Crichton, “I’ve always been a second eleven sort of a chap.” Didn’t think much of that at the time or for a good while after but these days I can see merit in it.

Merit?

Like in IT. Things move so fast it often doesn’t pay to be at the cutting edge. Products are experiments, they break down, they’re not supported, they’re discontinued when they prove unpopular.

Know what you mean. If you wait you get a tested product at a cheaper price. 3G mobile networks, wireless technology, who is actually using them yet?

Oh they’ll get there, but I just grumble about being the guinea pig who pays for company R&D.

So you reckon hasten slowly?

More than that. Haste makes waste.