Tim (we didn't write the book on MT, just the manual) Appnel wrote to the MTOS mailing list, ostensibly addressing reasons for using CPAN modules in place of MT code that replicates pre-existing CPAN mods. He made a technical point, but I think this point is so much more important, I have quoted it. I removed the parts where he was being diplomatic and stating that this is his opinion.
He's right, so he needn't be self-deprecating.
Another [reason to use CPAN mods in certain instances] is in better embracing open source. [...] Releasing MT under the GPL is a good first step, but there is still a certain level of mistrust (I'm not suggesting that its founded or not) nor are open source developers knock[ing] down the MTOS doors to contribute. Drawing in developers from other communities with some of the tools they are already familiar with and using would [...] contribute to generating more interest and breaking done the walls that [...] surround MT.
Conversely taking parts of MT that don't exist in the Perl/CPAN world (the template engine, registry, Promise, FileMgr ) and breaking them off as their own standalone library would have a similar effect [...] . Developers are more likely to write MT like apps that borrow from how it works indirectly learning about MT and perhaps contributing back to its development. Doing both of these clearly demonstrate that Six Apart is serious about MT as open source software and that there is something to gain by contributing.
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