There are many JS frameworks with different approaches. YUI and jQuery belong into the same category. Node.js is a completely different area. And Angular and Ember belong into another category - they follow a simmilar development approach.
So I see value in supporting Node.js or Angular/Ember but not jQuery when one decides that the YUI kind of framework starts to be obsolete.
David, you seam to have a lot of experience with pure JavaScript work. Does your experience prove the arguments of the YUI people wrong to stop developing a JavaScript framework because they see no need for one nowadays anymore?
What others are working on lately »Improving Smashing Magazine's Performance: A Case Study« http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2014/09/08/improving-smashing-magazine-performance-case-study/
David, testing my web design and web development projects in my small device lab on about 10 devices and with about 20 browsers is my daily business. What's ridiculous about that? I see it as serious and responsible work honoring the nowadays user needs.
When I first read the YUI announcement to stop active YUI development I thought this is a tough but wise decision. My second thought was - what will happen to »Atto«?
Reasons to stop YUI development are the much changed JavaScript support in browsers and a much improved JavaScript tool landscape.
I find reading the forum postings interesting under two aspects. One is that many of the contributors against a switch to jQuery in earlier discussions are now proposing to use jQuery with the same enthusiasm. And second is that many contributors in this discussion propose to use their momentary favorite JavaScript framework.
Not only the YUI developers see the signs of the time, many articles written lately propose to use pure JavaScript over frameworks. I find it interesting that in several articles the topic is »not to use jQuery« For example http://alistapart.com/blog/post/choosing-vanilla-javascript (And within the article the link to the »You Might Not Need jQuery
http://youmightnotneedjquery.com/« resource.)
I have the impression that if Moodle may decide to go with jQuery or another framework they are running behind in time several years - at a time when the web community seriously starts to move away from big JavaScript frameworks like YUI and jQuery Moodle may decide to switch from one to another