[wp-hackers] WP 3.1 admin bar

[Christopher Ross]

Will, I agree completely. If you want to contribute, get in there and help. I've had nothing but positive experiences anytime I've contributed.  However, what (and this was my point) people need to remember is that at the end of the day, it is Matt's project and Automattic is how he funds it. It's why the platform is as good as it is and it'll just keep getting better because of it.

Automattic is a comercial venture. That can't be dismissed. They charge $250,000 a year to support clients. The difference between them and an average consultant is that they turn a lot (but not all) of that money back inwards to WordPress development for the community. I think this is great, but I also think it's easy to see however why some people think an open source project should not be centrally focussed around a single company or so closely moderated by the employees of a commercial venture. I disagree with them but I can see their argument. 

Is WP too commercial? Is it becoming Microsoft? Will camel casing kill us all in our sleep or is the new admin bar the devil's work? There's an easy solution if you think so, either contribute and put up with a project leader that you sometimes disagree with or change platforms to one that listens to you. 

c.

 
On 2011-02-17, at 5:46 PM, William P. Davis wrote:

> As someone who isn't close to Automattic but a fairly large user of WP, I can say I honestly haven't been shocked by any of the new features. I wouldn't say WP is being built to Automattic's needs - wp.com has had the bar for a while, and in fact I know wp.com goes far above and beyond the standard wp install. If you're a WP consultant, you do need to follow trac and test all of prereleases - that's you're responsibility. If you don't like a feature, bring it up in alpha, not in RC5. If you don't complain before feature freeze because you don't test before feature freeze that's not exactly the core team's problem. 
> 
> PS would like to reiterate that, while much of the core team works for Automattic, not all of them do. If you really set your mind to it, I'm sure you too could become part of the inner circle. 
> Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Christopher Ross <cross at thisismyurl.com>
> Sender: wp-hackers-bounces at lists.automattic.com
> Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2011 17:23:45 
> To: <wp-hackers at lists.automattic.com>
> Reply-To: wp-hackers at lists.automattic.com
> Subject: Re: [wp-hackers] WP 3.1 admin bar
> 
> Aaron, your email identifies part of the overall problem in the community.
> 
> From what I gather there are two groups of developers in WordPress these days. There are those who are close to Automattic and make decisions (Jane published a list of them) and those who are far enough outside the inner circle to not know about these features until it's too late.
> 
> I think both sides have a point. 
> 
> WP is a commercial product for Automattic so they need to do what they need to do. On the other hand, the core of WP is open source, some of the recent features might be a little too brand focussed for people who don't share an interest in Automattic.
> 
> If a develop doesn't like what the core team is doing, they're free to change it. I'm just glad we have the hooks to do it.
> 
> c.
> 
> On 2011-02-17, at 4:47 PM, Aaron Jorbin wrote:
> 
>> On Thu, Feb 17, 2011 at 3:40 PM, Arlen Beiler <arlenbee at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>>> And where is this famous 3.1 that has generated so much discussion? ;)
>>> 
>> 
>> It's being tested.  How about instead of rehashing old debates without any
>> new information, we all svn up and test so that it can get out the door?
>> 
>> http://aaron.jorb.in
>> twitter: twitter.com/aaronjorbin
>> __________________________________
> 
> 
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> 
> Christopher Ross
> 
> http://christopherross.ca
> http://www.thisismyurl.com
> 
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Christopher Ross

http://christopherross.ca
http://www.thisismyurl.com