[development] D7 contrib module development

[Tao Starbow]

I think Khalid is exactly right here.  The low barrier to entry is one 
of the non-obvious secrets to Drupal's success.  It helps sucks new 
people in, gets them connected to the community, and we all benefit as 
their skills and contributions grow.

Clay Shirky's book, "Here comes everybody" is all about the fundamental 
change that the internet is sparking: the change from 
create-filter-publish, to create-publish-filter.  It can seem like a 
small change, but it is unleashing a huge wave of energy and creativity 
into the world.  And Drupal is benefiting from that wave, every bit as 
much more obvious projects, like Wikipedia or Flickr.

Of course, drupal.org has been a little weak in terms of tools for 
harnessing the power of the group mind in filtering after publishing, 
and it can be frustrating trying to separating the wheat from the chaff 
on your own.  Currently drupalmodules.com is the best place for viewing 
and contributing to the collective wisdom about existing modules, but 
http://drupal.org/project/usage is also a big step forward, and the 
drupal.org redesign will move the ball forward even more.

I would say that anyone that feel passionately about this subject should 
get involved with the drupal.org redesign, and start contributing there, 
either with time and expertise, or with funding.

cheers,
-tao
>
> Yes, your observation is correct, but  ... so what?
>
> We've always had stuff that falls off the face of earth. So what? The 
> caravan continues on ...
>
> The very first module I contributed (feedback) illustrates a point: It 
> was started in 2002 by someone called "barry". I had it working I took 
> it over in 2004 with totally new code for Drupal 4.5. Then "fago" 
> overhauled it a lot in 2006. Over time, the contact module in core 
> came along, and I stopped using feedback. Then in 2008 "sun" took it 
> over and repurposed it with new code.
>
> The "too many modules in contrib syndrome" can be taken as confusing, 
> excessive, ...etc. but can also be taken as a sign of a healthy and 
> vibrant community. So what if we have a few extra gigabytes of code? 
> So what if they become unmaintained?
>
> If we raise the barrier or block new entries we will be shutting 
> ourselves off from being the platform for the new chx or the new 
> merlinofchaos.
>
> It does not matter ... if it is the wild wild west, then let it be. It 
> is a small price to pay for innovation and the power of the masses.
> -- 
> Khalid M. Baheyeldin
> 2bits.com <http://2bits.com>, Inc.
> http://2bits.com
> Drupal optimization, development, customization and consulting.
> Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability. --  Edsger W.Dijkstra
> Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. --   Leonardo da Vinci