This list is addictive in a bad way; and I should probably stay clear of it. It seems to mostly be assertions about what the project should be by people who have no interest in contributing, and even less interest in reading the archives or even the wiki, which clearly outlines the issues in the various kernels that the developers had to deal with along the way.
As artists and engineers, there are bound to be things we don't like about any significantly complex piece of machinery; but critical analysis only really makes sense (to me) if it is believed that the alternative will lead to widespread adoption, and that developments resulting from the analysis will be supported in some noticeable way by the publisher. The first is particularly interesting, because most criticism seems due from people who have no experience or interest in developing systems software; the second seems obvious from the fact that most criticism seems to end with notes that the publisher has no interest in contributing in the near future. Sure, there are things I don't like about the current design. I well know that if I was an active contributor, suggestions I could make about the fundamentals of the design might hold more weight. If it didn't gain enough support, I could fork, and once I'd shown promise that I was committed to the future of my fork, it might attract more developers. But if these ideas have been discussed on the list before, and I haven't the obvious emotional commitment to seeing the concept through to fruition, and I haven't put the machinery in place to show that I'm serious about the idea, I think I might leave such suggestions well enough alone. It is probably the case that the lead engineers, with decades of experience developing the software that you probably haven't even read the wiki for, are a lot smarter than you, know what the current issues are, and better understand how to get there. Making statements for which the rebuttal is in the wiki will not make you seem particularly insightful. Attempted drive-by enlightenings benefit nobody. Dumber by the minute, William Leslie
