RIA Development = Software Development?

If you're like me, you are sick and tired of people treating web application development like the redheaded stepchild of website building. If you're like me, you've been handed too many projects that lack a defined scope, have inadequate analysis, exhibit poor implementation, and too often completely skip the process of evaluation and testing ("The client will test the product, right?").

It seems to me that rich application development, regardless of whether it's web-based (Flash, Flex, AJAX, server-side, etc.), needs to follow the same steps that any (efficient) software company would follow to develop its product, even if it's on a smaller scale. Too many clients that I work with think that because it's easy to use, it's easy to build. Or sometimes clients think that just because it's been done before, it should be easy to replicate quickly. Or, and this happens far too frequently, they think they can have a sweet product that is cheap and developed in two weeks. As a result, deadlines are set to allow for minimal development (not including other phases of the process), products are buggy at best, and expectations are high in contrast to the final output. Disappointment ensues, and business relationships suffer.

I'm no computer scientist, and I don't understand completely all the possible patterns and facets of software development, but I do know enough about the process of development to know when the developers are in for it because whoever is managing the project doesn't understand the process they're over.

Shouldn't web development, especially RIA development, be considered software, in a very true sense? And if that's the case, we as developers/project managers/clients should expect that some method be applied to the madness that too often is the process of throwing assets together in a Cowboy Coding fashion. Although the title works for the blog and for me personally, this absolutely is not the way we should approach a project. Use any approach you feel adequate (Waterfall, Top-Down/Bottom-Up, SDLC), but please use something.

Otherwise we'll all be Cowboy Coders.