It should probably apply to future firmware releases but it's a suggestion.

I think the title speaks for itself. The are some lucky guys who are trying the new firmware right now and I understand there should be some testing before the firmware is released to the masses, but as extras-devel is only for bleeding edge and early adopters, why not upload new firmware to extras-devel so all who wants can try it? I know it could eat my cat but it has important fixes (for me at least) so I'm ready to assume all the inconveniencies.

Why not. Even Microsoft is publicly testing their new OS'es. Maemo is supposed to be "open". So far there is not much open about it when getting down to it, at least not from Nokia.

Downside: word that new firmware is cooking will spread, causing the eager masses to once again chant "release!release!release" and possibly rush it

I think if only the bug fixes would be published in extras-devel (with big fat warnings that this is not the same quality as the one in the "soon-to-be-relased" firmware) that would make people happy. Right now you're reporting bugs and see no fruit (besides the comments that the xx internal firmware fixed it, pretty cool, now those 50 or so people who have access to it can enjoy their phones, great).

Yes release beta firmwares or at least bug fixes to known bugs through extras-devel
or better another repository (alpha or danger named?) to people willing to use or test them at their own risk (of bricking their devices). This would also allow the developers
to have a larger tester base, real life testing and better feedback on the changes and would probably allow to release less bug prone firmwares.

So? We chant anyway.

Extras* are for apps that are, well, 'extra' to the OS.

Plus, even though this is an open platform... would you release a beta firmware to people off the street?

Patience.

I would at least release deb packages that surely fix reported bugs as
always repeated on the bugzilla rather than let users who payed a lot of good money with an useless phone until evetually a new firmware will be released.

OTOH: by looking at the numerous bug reports for the current firmware
i would dare say that this is beta quality software released to people
on the street, so where is the difference?

Excellent point. Right now we are using the oldest, buggiest FW out there. I mean, my phone doesn't even function properly, it was DOA (rebooting issue). According to the sparse info that exist from Nokia, this bug is due to the main CPU not functioning properly with the OS kernel. I can live with that at the moment, but it would be much better to have access to a real fix.

I would much like to see a much more rapid bugfix to release dev cycle with fixes released as individually installable packages on a fixes-test repository of some sort. There were frankly WAY too many severe bugs in the release firmware (to say nothing of crappy production issues like the micro-usb debacle). Nokia should have either waited on the launch or been prepared to rapidly address issues via OTA upgrades.