[boost] Moving to Git and modularization - FWIW

Subject: [boost] Moving to Git and modularization - FWIW
From: Robert Ramey (ramey_at_[hidden])
Date: 2012-12-28 16:53:50

I don't have anything really specific to post here.  I would just
like to say that I support the efforts of the people doing this
and really appreciate the effort and sacrifice that they are
undertaking.  I really doubt that it's appreciated to the extent
that it should be.

Boost has grown by a huge amount over the past 10 years.
(maybe close to factor 10)

This growth of a large system of coupled (some loosely
and some not so loosley) components doesn't scale.  We
see it all the time in

* slower testing and more demand on testing resources.

* infrastructure loading and maintainence (e.g. SVN is slower
and slower and we had to disable SVN browsing through track)

* more time required to actually make a boost library
and make it available for review.

* longer and longer review queue.

* The C++ community (and spefically Boost) with the most meager
of resources has managed to bring evil empires to their knees and force
the dark powers to concede that their weapons (java, C#, etc ....) are
no match more powerful tools in the hands of a small band of zealots
who worship  the cause of pristine code. But with victory comes certain
responsabilities.  In particular this means actually providing the solutions
that we claim the others have failed to provide.  We have C++11 -
now we need more libraries. - lot's more.

Modularization of Boost is an essential step along this path.  I'm not
saying it won't be painful or inconvenient. But statements like "it's
unacceptable to ..." ignore the fact that the only really "unacceptable"
thing is the status quo.

Robert Ramey