I have been wrestling with this subject for awhile, and searching the groups and forums with no luck. The recent Release Cycle discussion http://groups.drupal.org/node/100584 has me asking, "How does everyone deal with this and relate it to clients?"
I first started with Drupal right as 6 was coming out of beta. The lack of modules was very frustrating, and delayed my ability to roll out complex sites. Now with D7 due any time, I face a similar problem. I would like to start in D7, but don't have all the modules I need, and the dev cycle on a couple projects requires I have stuff up before Jan 1. So I am sticking with D6.
Now I see all these discussions about how D7 took so long to get stable and people wanting a stable release every 12-18 months. So if I build a D6 site today, and D8 rolls out in 18 months, my client is either looking at a site with no core support or the need to update to D7 or D8.
It is not my intention to rehash the other conversations on the pro and cons of cycle lengths, but I am curious how people are communicating this stuff to their clients? Do you discuss the life expectancy of the site before beginning, and just tell them that after 2 versions they are on their own or need to shell out more money? Do you use maintenance agreements that build this cost in? How about module updates?
Up till now, I have provided the hosting for all my sites and just built the 6.x core updates and module updates into the hosting cost. They have all been minor with no need to make code changes up till now. But with D7 rolling out, I am sure there will be some module changes that may require more hands on time. I admit when I first began with Drupal I was naive about the dev cycles and the impact they would have in the future.
Most of my clients don't have a clue what Drupal is, or that it is being used, let alone what .x version is involved. So I don't have many concerns about the frequency of .x fixes to core and modules, as long as I don't have to rework any code. However I have a D6 site about half way done that has a budget of over $10k and it probably will not be online for another 3-4 months and then there are 2 more phases after that. I have already updated core and several modules multiple times while still in dev. D8 could be out within a year of its completion. How do I tell the client they need to spend a couple more grand to move to D7 or D8 (if the modules are there) within a year of completion?
Again, I am seeking input on how you communicate the various life cycles of Drupal to your clients, and how you cover your costs in keeping up with those cycles.
Thank you!!