I don't know how to respond (phrasing wise) to things like this without somebody getting insulted. Sigh.

The decision to announce a shipping date depends on many factors. I don't know what the situation is, but since I'm not in grade school and actually write software for a living, I can guess at the possibilities.

One interpretation is that they know exactly when it is shipping, all bugs are known to be dealt with, all CD's and manuals are ready and they are just trying to annoy you.  This would automatically piss people off.

Another interpretation is that they are still working on things and do not want to ship a product on some arbitrary day just because it is time to ship. This would automatically piss people off.

Another interpretation is that factors outside their control having to do with production runs of CD's and manuals make them unable to identify the ship date, and it might be missed even if the software is ready. This would automatically piss people off.

In other words, because of your attitudes and predispositions, you are pissed off, and label every decision or process or plan as "grade school".  No matter what the state of the real universe, you will complain that the universe is not ideal and it is the vendor's fault. You have also determined that whining about it does not make you look like an ass, but rather embarasses the vendor into doing what you want.

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Renderosity forum reply notifications are wonky. If I read a follow-up in a thread, but I don't myself reply, then notifications no longer happen AT ALL on that thread. So if I seem to be ignoring a question, that's why. (Updated September 23, 2019)