I don't understand why this is an issue -
If ver 0.8.2 is a problem, why not use 0.8.1 ?
Or someone recompile the 0.8.2 source with the changes you want/dont want ..
As far as I can see, no one has a central authority to decide anything on bitcoin.
The p2p network continues to work regardless of version ..
or am I wrong ?
You don't even need to recompile, you just edit a text file and restart.
The problem is that some people don't want
you to be able to change how
your node acts. They don't want you to have the option to refuse to relay their crap.
That is the reason for all of the fuss. 0.8.2 puts the node operator in charge of the relay policy for their own node.