Okay, so from my perspective, here's where we are:
The WMF staff cares about the projects and we respect the work that they do. Additionally, they do a much better job than the other top...well, one hundred websites in the world in communicating with their volunteers and their userbase. The flip-side is that this is the reason that most organizations put up a wall between administration and staff. Not that this is healthy, and I certainly don't encourage it, but this is what a thread like the ones we've had recently fosters: Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
1. MediaWiki software support Damned if you don't: Volunteers won't necessarily jump on fixing the software patches/extensions if they are to hard and there is not enough time or energy to go around. Damned if you do: You didn't listen to the community and implemented these changes without review.
2. Project support: Damned if you do: We demand that the office intervene in pushing through community requested enhancements, and we will complain about them when you do. Damned if you don't: Why do we pay these people?
3. Takedown notices/other staff or founder actions: Damned if you don't: The Wikimedia Foundation does not care about its userbase, and requests that all issues about content being directed at the uploader (at their own legal expense). Damned if you do: GET OFF MY LAWN
I'm sorry if this seems terse. Well, actually I'm not. The Foundation is as actively engaged as it can be and hands off as it can be. Say an "engine" as it was put doesn't like vector. Well, I don't either. But what do you want? Polls? Noticeboards? Even more discussion than we already have now?
I'm a big fan of discussions, I'll talk about most anything endlessly. This is talking about running a business, and sometimes that requires stifling discussion until the appropriate time for ideas and reforms have come about as well as {{sofixit}}. Criticism is what should build a business model, and I'm certain that the WMF takes this to heart because, as mentioned, they don't have the steel heart wall that most major websites do.
Long story short: chasing+tail=killing time.
Just my opinion.