I never get that "overwhelming feeling" when I see the library list. OTOH, I get a secure feeling thinking that I have all these tools at my disposal and all are solid, peer-reviewed code. The Boost libraries is nothing compared to the list that Source Forge provides, yet no one complains about being overwhelmed by SF's immensity. It's actually an ingredient to its success!
Perhaps it is time for Boost to reconsider what it is trying to be? Is it high quality libraries that ought to be in the standard? Or is it - the sourceforge role model - an umbrella organization over a set of experimental, and often competing, libraries? If the latter then the single release model is wrong; the immense effort to get the last few releases out the door supports that. Banning all new libraries is a bit extreme of course, but actually worth considering. Here is less extreme idea: split into boost-core and boost-extra. And all new libraries go in boost-extra. To move to boost-core requires at least a year in boost-extra and another review/vote to approve the move. The criteria would be not "quality" but that a large number of other boost-extra libraries depend on it and that the interface is very stable. boost-core would have a long period between releases, mainly for bug fixes. boost-extra libraries each release independently. Just some ideas, Darren