Feature Checkbox Brochure Game

A common compact product comparison technique is a "feature grid" with check-boxes for each feature per product. Typically product is on one axis and features on another, and check-boxes for the corresponding grid cells indicating that a given product has a given feature. (Often there are footnotes or the word "Partial" for semi-addressed features.)

Because these charts are highly visible and provide at least the appearance of an objective summary, organizations are pressured to "keep up with the feature Jones'" and make sure their product has as many check-marks as possible.

The downside is that quality, ease of use, and integration may suffer to obtain a higher quantity of check-boxes. It's often a case of SovietShoeFactoryPrinciple.

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AKA Bullet Point Engineering. It's amusing sometimes how companies game the features listed to make their product stand out.

That's why so many products and tools are crappy convoluted messes. The charts can be improved via a 3rd column:

  Feature......Has.....Will turn you gray using it
  ------------------------------------------------
  Feature-01...[X]......[X]
  Feature-02...[X]......[_]
  Feature-03...[X]......[X]
  Feature-04...[X]......[X]
  Feature-05...[_]......[_]
  Feature-06...[X]......[X]
  Feature-07...[X]......[X]
  Feature-08...[X]......[_]
  Feature-09...[X]......[X]

(Dots to prevent TabMunging)