It was a real shotgun shot to the face. What ROS 1 needed was to modernize ros_comm a bit so it doesn't crash when the network changes and it would be a far better solution, plus integrating multimaster_fkie.
Now we've got this bullshit with multiple slower RMWs with vastly larger overhead and none of them work reliably, clogging the network with multicasts. Not only that but some packages only work with some RMWs or just one, fracturing the ecosystem even further, because breaking everything every 2 years wasn't enough to reduce compatibility.
Like the whole point of ROS in principle is the standardization, grab any two packages and they will work with each other if you remap the topics because the message types are the same. The effort should be in the direction to further this standardization, not actively prevent it.
Now we've got this bullshit with multiple slower RMWs with vastly larger overhead and none of them work reliably, clogging the network with multicasts. Not only that but some packages only work with some RMWs or just one, fracturing the ecosystem even further, because breaking everything every 2 years wasn't enough to reduce compatibility.
Like the whole point of ROS in principle is the standardization, grab any two packages and they will work with each other if you remap the topics because the message types are the same. The effort should be in the direction to further this standardization, not actively prevent it.