Q. Is it possible to isolate a core thread execution model from the various libs currently on offer, and re-express those libs in terms of the core model? The core service amonst these libraries is "Execution of abstracted tasks in an appropriate threads" Task seems to be in common expressible as a function object Major extension/variations include - waitable return object (future/threader) vs. ad hoc reverse direction task execution (asio::demuxer/defer) - threads resources shareable amongst different tasks (threader/demuxer/defer) vs thread created per action (futures, also possible with defer & threader styles) - some guarantees given about which thread will do a given task (threader/demuxer/defer) vs guaranteed new thread (future) - able to extend callbacks into windows message pump (defer) I think the different return styles can be unified to some extent by wrapper objects which operate like a void(void) function for exection, but which package up a wrapped function with return values and expose a wait() method on which the caller can wait for the result (essentially what threader/futures do) Futures autocreation of threads for each task is clearly implementable on top of any of the others, though perhaps not as efficiently. Guarantees about how a task will execute may not matter to all applications but it critical to others. The asio::demuxer gives a guarantee that the task will execute in a thread that has called demuxer::run, which may include the thread which is doing the requesting - implication being that the call may take place immediately. This is an excellent performance optimisation, but the programmer may require stronger guarantees, perhaps against that very optimisation. Vague Conclusions. I think its doable, I'd like to use such a boost library, i'd like it to be flexible in terms of strategising the thread allocation, i'd like to be able to use different models of thread allocator to solve different problems from distruting load amongst threads to solving thread deadlock issues to integrating my networking library with my GUI application. I'd prefer it if someone smarter than myself could write the code, but if they'd keep my requirements in mind while doing so (and treat my defer submission as an extension to those requirements) then i'd be happy. Cheers Simon Meiklejohn