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TechComm Dood (not to be confused with TechComm ;-D) says :
After you're done with the conceptual chunking you can then estimate from there.
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Now I am getting curious. Don't most writers do what I do and create relative dates? After you do the required research and plan/scope/chunk the project, you create a schedule. And the dates in that schedule identify what you need and what you can and cannot control, such as:
~ First draft on Friday of existing functionality.
~ Second draft one week after the software is complete (in testing) which includes full functionality available and all existing review comments.
~ Final draft and multiple outputs released with software, which include all changes and review comments to that point or at any specified time based on the writer's schedule.
So, who uses relative dates? Because until this thread, I kind of assumed everyone did.