I'd have an easier time using "shitload," I think. What gave me pause about "half-assed" was not merely the obscenity, but the implied criticism of the person who hadn't done what they said they'd do. I don't yet know what is going on with them, and I kind of suspect that they are actually half-assing this project, but better for me to just let their manager know what didn't get delivered and let their manager deal with it.
I was going to speak up in defense of 'half-assed' but your comment makes clear there was a personal dimension, which I agree is inappropriate.
'features that never get beyond version one' was a phrase that I used recently to circumlocute around 'half-assed' but in retrospect the latter would have gotten the point across. 'uncompleted' just suggests it's not done yet, nobody knows what 'desultory' is, and 'half-baked' is equally insulting. So I think there are cases where 'half-assed' fits the bill.
'features that never get beyond version one' was a phrase that I used recently to circumlocute around 'half-assed' but in retrospect the latter would have gotten the point across. 'uncompleted' just suggests it's not done yet, nobody knows what 'desultory' is, and 'half-baked' is equally insulting. So I think there are cases where 'half-assed' fits the bill.
-- no, that's not quite accurate. I have used the phrase "CLEANSE IT WITH FIRE" in a ticket, now.
The specific problem is the unnecessarily scrolling News boxes on the self-service view of the helpdesk product.
[Logs in to take a look.] Oh. That's. Special.
Thank you for your ongoing efforts to make the helpdesk product something that a sane human can use without pain.