Real Soon Now

Definitions

1. An indefinite future date offered in place of a real commitment, understood by all parties to mean 'not soon, and possibly never'. Usually abbreviated RSN. The phrase is applied to promised product releases, long-deferred refactors, and documentation that will be written once there is time. Its power comes from being technically truthful while conveying nothing, which is exactly why it became the standard hacker gloss on vendor roadmaps. Saying a feature is coming real soon now is a way of promising and disclaiming in the same breath.