Hi there, Some arguments here are not completely true. Look here how developers spend much time on new issues for core 5 ! http://drupal.org/project/event It's only an example & there is more; this is a clear statement that some developers prefer to spent time on getting 5 better, instead of getting all other lacking modules from 5 to 6, so website owners don't have any reason left to step over from 5 to 6. Waste of time?
Yes, one can pay for development. But who is gona pay me for my volunteer work? Many sites are social sites, or small to medium commercial ones. It will cost an enormous lot of money to pay for custom made modules at programmers fees. The smaller social ones that can, have to rely heavy on subsidy and that money can change the social movement in the political and even corrupt direction of the money givers. So I pay for myself, above my volunteer work that ofcourse doesn't generate money to invest in this social network. That situation won't change that easy in a few years. Drupal programming is a blend of non-centralised volunteer work with some agreements through negotiations, and commercial driven projects (even the social ones, if they can arrange money). That's its power, but also its weakness. The positive effect for introducing core 7 in the first year, will maybe lay only in a wake-up call that some modules from 5 can't wait anymore to be transformed to 6, so MAYBE in a year from now websites have no rason left not to stick with core 5 anymore. But for core 7 to run on most drupal installations, will take 2 years? Two years before a development can be practically implemented, is an ENORMOUS waste of time too. So most like to have a core 6 AND 7 website (or even with a 5). But -except for quite simple/basic sites- nothing can be transformed to the 7 website, because there is no integration AT ALL. Not even automatic login for all members of the 6 site? Hey guys & girls; wake-up; most want such a smooth transition. Yes, I understand that bridging and integrating all aspects COMPLETELY, will be an insane waste of time. But what can be bridged PRACTICALLY? (again; I'm not suggesting bridging everything, what indeed would be a waste of time) And can/needs core 7 be revised before the first release, to make bridging less complex? Ofcourse without touching the pro's of core 7. Then I'm not only suggesting what the title says; bridging in general WITH NON DRUPAL programs/sites, is a hot item. Ofcourse not everything is practically possible in bridging. BUT: If the core 7 uses some standardised coding (lack of a standard?), it will be easier to bridge to other programs that use the same standard. So the same work to (partly) bridge 6 to 7, as well as to (partly) bridge 7 to many other programs and sites. All in one basic bridge module/API, implemented on a possible re-written core 7 for more standardisation in these. ABOVE this basic bridge API for core 7 only, specific bridges like core 6, Twitter, Facebook, Mediawiki, social networks, Google Wave: http://code.google.com/apis/wave/ , etcetera. Maybe even 'copy' Google Wave standards into a Drupal API ? If Drupal looses this development, a lot of sites and people might migrate from Drupal to Google,not now, but somewhere in future. Another argument here is that Drupal programmers aren't interested in bridging, mostly because of some unnecesary experiences to bridge to some specific fora. Well, thats old school; there are many new developments and trends... Most Drupal programmers have a good general education and understanding of social issues too. One needs to realise the so called "cultural barriers", withdrawing in subcults, For example: Is the way Mediawikis think wrong, or how Drupals think? They both think in their own same street/culture. But to get to a higher culture, one needs to think how the other thinks and then make some general thinking that is good for both. Also getting a culture to a higher or another culture, will always meet enormous tense resistance. They will kill the first sheep that dares to walk over the dam. If they kill the first sheep, the power balance is back to the old culture. But if the first sheep is very stubborn and succeeds inspite of all the resistance, then slowly others start to follow and met lesser resistance, untill the mass starts moving towards the other culture. But its very difficult, even if the other culture has many more advantages for all. In filosophy cultural study there is something like this in other words, I forgot the official terms. Anyway, all the best.
