Indeed Joe people can often misinterpret whats said in forums, online chat, blogs etc. What their perception is .vs. what the author was attempting to state often (very often) can be misconstrued.
I agree with you that a wide beta would result in heaps of DNN webmasters freakin' out as bugs crop up etc. You stated that this was indeed what had happened previously. This is why I suggested that a wide-beta not even be basically be called a wide beta. Instead its called a DNN Sandbox Release. Whether it is in fact a possible production candidate or not now does not matter. Gemini should be "closed off" to any issues pertinent to the sandbox release.
Wording means everything when communicating via the net to all people. When someone see's RC3 they go "formal release!" and they will instantly assume that its been rigorously tested and they can feel comfortable and safe in upgrading and using it in a production environment. I'm a programmer and when I see "RC" I assume that if I upgrade a production site I would not see any pestering bugs and that core project modules will all work at least as well as they did prior.
You'd mentioned some think that the core and releases etc. think that some mysterious motives are behind the varied processes. I am not sure what exact statements anyone has made might make them or the core think that way. What I do realize is that "big industry" players are quite serious about web based portals and applications frameworks. Microsoft has been and continues to work towards web frameworks allowing the average person to know nothing about engineering and create portals and CMS sites. Sun is on the same path. I took a little time today to read a bit about Java based portals and various portlets (modules). Some very impressive work been done. Its no secret that web applications are the wave of the future where software will not be mounted locally on peoples PC's. Its no secret as to why's and wherefor's from piracy to privacy to the regulatory measures coming down the pike for the web that Microsoft has been charged in large fashion of helping pioneer for obvious reasons.
I do not know what ya'll have for long term vision of DNN. I know if it were me I'd have commercial interests in mind. That is to say having an easy to use Internet/Intranet framework that is plug 'n' play for corporations who will pay nice licensing royalties and pay for custom development of modules to suit the specific tasks needs. For the rest of the privateer's free, lite edition, cheap edition all is immaterial. When I can get Hyundai to license I'm not real concerned with revenues anymore. But that's me.
If DNN's future does have goals of commercial interests then the faster/better the framework becomes the better the chances of a commercial reality. If DNN has no future commercial interests then whatever path's are taken are what they are, in other words... It doesnt mater if DNN 5.0 takes 6 months, a year or 3 years. If there are future commercial interests then its a race just like any other breaking technologies. DNN stays ahead of the curve or a commercial interest such as Sun will grab the gold. I come from commercial development both vertical market and not. If DNN is to be a hobby and not a career thats cool. if DNN is to at some point have thriving commercial interests then the imperative becomes staying ahead of the curve on competition. I know Microsoft very well, very very well in fact... Cant say much more than that. But, big big things are at stake in the information technologies, MUCH bigger than the average person is aware of. Our business has in fact been a contractor to the US State Dept. after 9/11.
Again... I have no idea what those who are DNN's goals are. The sites we are working on using DNN are varied, cant say much more than that either as its not my charge.
If you'd like commune in email Joe (or core) I am happy to offer up what insight I can.