Ubuntu unveils its next-generation shell and display server

I thought the same thing. The only way you get involved in a project, figure out the direction, and eventually try to guide the direction is to show up. I can't think of any open source project where you could have no contact with anyone on the project and feel you had a strong understanding of the its direction.

It seems like if the alternative is writing your own graphics stack from scratch, then you probably want to make sure you've got a full understanding of the project you're discarding.