Before we go any further let’s all try to agree on the core Mission and Purpose of WP Core, and how best would those objectives be measured and maintained.

The point is, any core feature I’m not using is effectively an unnecessary dependency. Most reasonable people would agree that keeping such dependencies to a minimum – ideally zero – is a good thing.

Once there’s general agreement about Core’s core then it becomes clear where plugins are necessary. That increases competition (a good thing), and it removes dev fear that what they’re building won’t suddenly become Core territory.

Unfortunately, as it is, WP has a spotty track record on such things**. Oddly enough, Matt and Automattic have played a role in that. As developer tensions rise along with alternative CMSs, perhaps those in the “executive suite” are finally feeling the heat? Nah. There’s too little history of that as well.

** As a result of previous experiences I’m not alone when I say I’m slow to open issues on GitHub or the bug tracker. The attitude returned is simply not motivating. I’ve got better things to do then being on the wrong end of someone else’s piss poor communication skills.