[development] Freezing the Drupal API

[Chris Johnson]

>> It would also increase the manpower available to work on future
>> Drupal development

> what use is having more manpower if you've 
> effectively frozen (or at least chilled) core development?

        Chris the Curmudgeon Presents
      A Melodrama In 5 Short Paragraphs

A frozen, or very slowly evolving API, IS NOT FROZEN CORE DEVELOPMENT.

I will assume for the moment that this was a minor misunderstanding.  Clearly 
the code and features on both side of an API can change and develop as long as 
the expected interface (you know, the I in API) doesn't change away from 
existing code.  New functionality can be added to the API.  New 
implementations of existing functionality can be added with new interfaces. 
New code on both sides can take advantage of such extensions.

It hardly means the end of all creativity.

Let me give an example from the real world.  All this fun Web 2.0 stuff and 
Web 1.0 stuff we are doing?  This HTTP thing?  These files?

It's all from standard Unix / POSIX / BSD APIs that have been cast in concrete 
for 20 or 30 years.  The web?  HTTP?  AJAX?  RSS?  Built on TCP sockets.  The 
BSD socket interface has not changed in any appreciable fashion for at least 
20 years.

Horrors!

-- 
We are not tied to the track and the Southbound Limited is not steaming down 
upon us.

:-)