In reply to Mike.

Two things about the 2017 suggestion specifically:

1. Moving the release date to 2017 would need to take until well into March to make any sort of difference - as it stands, all significant development for 4.7 has to be completed before the US Thanksgiving holiday. WCUS is another interruption just a week after that, and then the release is directly afterward in order to be well before the middle of the month and allow for a worst-case delay that does not adversely impact holidays. The period from late November through early January is low activity across the board (not just in WordPress), as people take time off or have other obligations. To then ramp back up would not be very far from starting a release all over again, which is why it doesn't make sense to carry a release cycle across the new year.

2. I volunteered (and agreed) to take over release lead duties for 4.7 based on a August-December 2016 timeline. It is not possible for me to continue this into 2017 given the above. Seems pretty important to have the release lead, you know, lead the release. If I want to enjoy the holidays, then I better have this done before then.