T
here’s a rumour out there on the world wide web
about the story behind the creation of Google
Maps. The story goes that the development team
were presenting what they considered to be an
early prototype to Google senior management
when founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin supposedly
said, “It’s already good enough, ship it.” The team naturally
complied and the rest, of course, if you’ve ever been lost in
the shady backstreets of an outer-lying suburb and needed
a guiding hand, you’ll know is history.
I’m relaying this story because, right now, I’m having trouble handing this
article over. I’m struggling to “ship it”, so to speak. I’ve tweaked and teased.
Copied and pasted. Command Z-ed more times than I’d like to admit. It’s safe to say
I reached the point of diminishing returns (where effort exceeds value) a week
ago, but still it sits on my desktop, cursor blinking with possibility. It’s not this
article that’s particularly tricky, mind you (and by no means a Shakespearean
masterpiece, although riveting, I promise). It’s just the way I am. It’s been like
this since Year 1 when, on one particularly memorable day, I recall sitting inCan
you
deal
with
it?
GOOD
ENOUGH
(^) THE
NE W
PERFE CTION
is
/
Words by Genevra Leek142 ELLE AUSTRALIA