I found this over on The Daily WTF.
You can find the original link @ http://thedailywtf.com/forums/permalink/79265/79265/ShowThread.aspx#79265
_____________________________________________________________________
From: {Product Manager}
Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2006 8:41 AM
To: A----- Selvan
Cc: {Marketing Director}
Subject: Software Version
A-----,
I've noticed that in several places (most prominently, Help-About),
there is the product version, build number, etc. Please have your team
remove this information in our next release.
______________________________________________________________________
From: A----- Selvan
Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2006 9:03 AM
To: {Product Manager}
Cc: {Marketing Director}
Subject: Re: Software Version
The product version and build number are necessary to identify what
release the customer has. This is also key in our testing and quality
process.
______________________________________________________________________
From: {Product Manager}
Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2006 1:29 PM
To: A----- Selvan
Cc: {Marketing Director}
Subject: Re: Software Version
Couldn't you determine this information some other way? We don't want
the customers knowing this information and need it removed.
______________________________________________________________________
From: A----- Selvan
Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2006 1:45 PM
To: {Product Manager}
Cc: {Marketing Director}
Subject: Re: Software Version
We really can't remove it from the product, but, if you'd like, we can
hide it further. However, it is very discrete as is: it only appears in
the About dialog, release notes, and change log. But no matter what, we
will need to keep it accessible for support.
Either way, I don't really understand the request. Almost every software
program ever made has release information like this. Why would you
want it removed?
______________________________________________________________________
From: {Product Manager}
Sent: Wednesday, March 29, 2006 10:04 AM
To: A----- Selvan
Cc: {Marketing Director}
Subject: Re: Software Version
We can't be at all accessible to the client, we'll just have to find
another way.
The reason is simple: when they see "Version 2.8 (build 448)," they
will think that it took us 28 releases and over *four hundred* builds
to get right.
______________________________________________________________________
From: {Marketing Director}
Sent: Wednesday, March 29, 2006 10:08 AM
To: A----- Selvan, {Product Manager}
Subject: Re: Software Version
This is a good point. This is *not* the information we should be
conveying to our customers. A-----, please make sure it's removed in
the next release.