On 05/30/2013 05:31 PM, DaB. wrote:
that WMF has already won
I did not wish to intervene in this thread, DaB, out of respect and admiration for your dedication; but this I cannot let by uncommented.
The WMF has not "won" anything, because there was never a contest or battle, nor was there an adversarial position to begin with. My concern - and that of the Foundation - align exactly with yours: provide a good and stable environment for community developers to do their work with the least possible fuss.
You sincerely believe that the Toolserver was and is the best solution towards that objective. I disagree, and think that the Foundation has more resources to set up and upkeep that environment and to insure its future. Either way, it's the developer community that "wins", regardless of where the actual environment ends up being.
This does not, in any way, diminish the value of what you have done, or of the effort you have expended in doing it. The Toolserver served its purpose very well for a number of years! We have simply reached a point where the continued maintenance of such a critical service living outside the infrastructure remains rational.
I am saddened that you felt that the Foundation was an enemy to protect against when we are plainly working towards the same ends. That we are in a position to support the developer community with more resources should be cause to celebrate, not bemoan. The Toolserver deserves a retirement with honors, not a bitter parting.
-- Marc