I'm new to CHDK, but I'll put in my two cents anyway. To use the needle/haystack metaphor, I think that lots of people can find that needle, which is not to belittle the accomplishments of those who have. But reyalp is the one who keeps the whole haystack from blowing away.
Keeping a complex project like this running, with contributions from so many different programmers, is an incredible accomplishment. I'm amazed that it works at all. It requires one person with an understanding of the entire project, and the ability to resist pressure from programmers (like me), who want to add things that might crash the entire system.
Most importantly, reyalp doesn't just know how to do this, he actually DOES it. In addition, he's the one, along with philmoz and waterwingz, who teach newbies like me what to do. And without new people, the project would die.
We all have a different perspective, but from my perspective so far, it's reyalp all the way.
