CCP Development Backlog
This article explains the development backlog of CCP and the role it plays in the interaction between CCP and the CSM.
When you are interested in the work of the CSM, you will sooner or later come across the term "backlog". A lot of ideas, which the CSM puts forward to CCP end up there, and you might ask yourself if that was the end of any good idea. Is it just a nice term for the recycle bin ? No, only good ideas are put to the backlog.
Part of the development process
In fact, ideas are evaluated by a development team before they are put to the backlog. Only such changes, which are deemed technically feasible (now or later), that fit to the EVE philosophy, and that get some basic appreciation of the team are put to the backlog. The backlog is a comprehensive collection so that nothing gets lost. And it is a well defined tool of the development process, where ideas are parked that are not part of the current planning. Regularly, the producers of CCP are re-evaluating the backlog. Each issue has a priority attached to it, and it is always the top part, which receives further assessment and will be pushed into the actual development queue.
The CSM can be proud of having their own little flag, which issues receive that have been brought up by the CSM. So that in the end, when they finally get implemented, the CSM might even be appreciated by a remark in the patch notes.
How to influence the backlog
Work of the CSM is not over once the CSM has convinced CCP of an issue and get swallowed by the backlog. The CSM can still influence the priority of backlogged issues by raising them again. And if the Council really, really hammers CCP, then they will actually push items up in the log and into the development queue. Some housekeeping is also going on between CCP and the CSM : in each Iceland meeting, the CSM's own backlog is being looked at and re-evaluated. You might be surprised that quite a large number of items "magically" disappears off the list like that as both parties find that the issue was solved during the past six months.