txdo_msk:
Anyone that's been in a serious restructure (buyout) knows what's coming next...
Worst case scenario, they fold up shop, and the community organizes and forks the code (or creates something new).
We just can't name or call it "Arduino"...
Remember, the Arduino isn't the company, nor the board, nor the founders - the Arduino is US. We made the Arduino what it is today, and we'll continue to make it what it is in the future.
Even if Atmel folds and no more ATMegas are produced (not likely, but anything can happen I suppose) - we'll just move on to another platform.
What will be the hardest transition won't be the hardware - it will be this forum and the members moving to another forum; since such a forum doesn't exist - it would have to be created (by someone) and hosted (on some server somewhere) and someone will have to pay for it. Given the likely traffic, it wouldn't be cheap.
We'll only fall if we don't stick together and realize that we are a community helping each other - along with the promotion and use of the product. If we ignore that - today or tommorow - we're all lost.
So let's keep our heads up, our eyes open, and our mouths moving (well, fingers typing) - follow this story, keep everyone abreast of the issues as we know more, and keep doing what we're already doing.
Long live the Arduino.
