How do you celebrate a major release

Question

I've heard of companies issuing 'gold disks' to developers, ie the shipped dvd sprayed gold and mounted in a frame with a metal plaque underneath. I think Microsoft used to give everyone who worked on the project a copy of the box which was finally shipped (so the more boxes on the book case the longer someone had worked there). Problem is if you don't ship anything, ie you just deploy to a webserver somewhere, how do you celebrate and give people that feeling of finishing the job.

We generally head to the pub for lunch and then go out after work to the same. How does anyone else celebrate? have you had any particularly excellent/noteworthy celebrations?

Answer 1

Sleep. Lots of sleep.

Answer 2

For big releases, our company has taken us out for half a day. We've done things like gone bowling or to an arcade ... just a place where we can hang out with coworkers and have fun.

Of course, you can never go wrong with free booze. :)

For smaller releases, we'll do things like bring in Jamba Juice for everyone. I don't think it necessarily has to be big; people just like knowing their efforts are appreciated.

Answer 3

My last big celebration consisted of a couple of days to catch up on sleep and to see the little people who were rumored to be my kids.

Answer 4

Shave my 'n' day old beard!

Answer 5

Buy a 24-pack of dirt-cheap soda (or a 48-pack, etc).

Acquire a baseball Tee and an aluminum bat.

Place can of soda on baseball tee.

Hit the soda can with the bat, and enjoy the enormous mess it creates.

:-)

Answer 6

We have a "bell-ringing" ceremony at work, and then we usually go out for dinner.

But not so much since the economic meltdown! :)

Answer 7

For our last big release. we all got the day off and did a bungy jump and a bridge walk over the harbour bridge.

Answer 8

I like to do team-building stuff (out to the pub, etc) regularly - not when we release.

As a release reward I like cash, and if there was overtime, extra PTO. I'm a little annoyed when the company spends money on a tchotchke I don't want. (That category includes plaques, gold DVDs, certificates, stress balls, tshirts...)

Answer 9

In a place I used to work they played the themetune to Rocky over the sound system.

-- Lee

Answer 10

We get told to stop slacking and get working on the next project, which tends to be already behind schedule due to unreasonable scheduling. :-p