[development] Why ARE modules in core?

[Gerhard Killesreiter]

Jeff Eaton wrote:
> The whole poll discussion got me thinking. At a philosophical level,
> what DOES qualify a module for inclusion in core? The fact that many
> other useful things are built on top of it (APIs, etc)? The fact that it
> provides specific functionality needed by a critical mass of sites? The
> mere fact that it meets the coding standards? Clearly not #3. :) But
> obviously, most of the current core modules evolved as a part of the
> much older Drupal builds. What criteria make something *good* for core?
>   

In the case of poll module it is clearly a case of "because it always 
was in core". I think the same applies to archive module. Very few 
modules ever get into core and/or removed from it.

Cheers,
    Gerhard