Brian,
Gemini has contained the roadmap feature since we started using it to track issues a couple of years ago. This is not something new that we added. The only change here is that we actually identified the roadmap items early enough that the community could actually see what was being worked before it was completed. But clearly as you have shown, not everyone has been aware of the feature. As I previously have indicated, we are also going to blog about the roadmap. Some people prefer one format over the other. The blog allows me to actually provide additional explanation on some of the items which would require a lot more effort to maintain in Gemini and would require a lot more effort by the community to figure out what the actual likelihood that something will be included in a release. Just because something is planned for a release, does not mean that it will actually be completed in time for the release (clearly as Microsoft has shown, it is not uncommon for individual features to slip from a release)
The roadmap page has evolved over time and was created before we had blogs available on the site. It was recently amended to include the module which allows community feedback on the individual features which should be considered for the core. As indicated in the text you quoted above, it is intended as a "long term" planning tool. Not something that we use to manage the scope for an individual release. Since every change to the core should be recorded in Gemini so that it gets displayed as part of the change log, then this makes sense to be the central respository for all items which are being worked on by the team.
Personally, your response in this instance just highlights part of the problem I have with your behavior in the forums. You have complained repeatedly that the roadmap was not posted. Now that it is posted, and in two different spots,. you complain about the manner in which it is presented. As one of the last core team members to even respond to your posts, I think it is time I adopted the policy of many others and just ignore you. Your posts are not constructive in the least and are no longer worth my time to respond to. I have more important project tasks I could be working on rather than dealing with one more of your complaints.
If anyone else has any questions about the roadmap, i will be happy to answer them.