difference between releases

[TM4526 at aol.com]

In a message dated 11/8/04 10:12:47 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
jerrymc at clunix.cl.msu.edu writes:
> 
> In a message dated 11/8/04 5:46:59 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
> keramida at ceid.upatras.gr writes:
> >Releases are fixed points in time.  They are marked on their respective 
> branch
> >of development and that's it.  A x.y-RELEASE version is effectively a 
> symbolic
> >name for a specific moment in time.
> Wow, thats what a "snapshot" used to be. How discouraging.

>A release is a snapshot - just one that everything (including most ports, 
>although since the release team may not have control over all ports, some
>may fall by the wayside) has been brought up to that point of development
>and generaly checked out at that point.    A mere snapshot that is not a 
>release is just the current (momentary) development collection without 
>necessarily making sure everything is at any particular level.
>
>How discouraging for you not to understand that.

Its "discouraging", because a "Release" should be " a completed set
of features that have been tested and thought to be bug-free"

Thats what a release is for a real product, and perhaps is the reason 
why so many people are confused?