> I gotta tell you that unless you're working with absolute bozos, nobody is looking at estimates and saying "oh duh, I am betting the farm this will complete on that date."

I gotta tell you, you've never worked with a business stakeholder, the government (see financial penalties for missing deadlines) or with an absolute deadline (ie Christmas) if you think that's true.

> Many commenters on this story believe the main purpose of estimation is to assert when something will be done

We know our estimates can never be guarantees, but that is irrelevant to stakeholders whose career advancement depends on project X being done in day Y. Guess who's opinion carries more weight in literally every profit making enterprise.