Macros -> declarations

[Daniel L. Weinreb <DLW@TENEX.SCRC.Symbolics.COM>]

    Date: Thu, 16 May 1985  22:45 EDT
    From: "Scott E. Fahlman" <Fahlman@CMU-CS-C.ARPA>
								       But
    we should only make this move so late in the game if just about everyone
    else feels likewise.

    -- Scott

Taking this a few steps further, I think it's important that we decide
what our philosophy is about "changes to Common Lisp", particularly in
light of the fact that the manual has been published and is now on the
shelves of bookstores.  What does it mean for us to "make a move"?

This is not intended as a criticism of Masinter's suggestion or any
other particular suggestion (I actually like the suggestion, although I
haven't considered it carefully).  I just think we'd spend our time
better if it were somewhat more clear what game we are playing and what
the rules are, and I'm worried that we're spending a great deal of time
and energy designing Common Lisp after the horse has been let out of the
barn.  Are we really designing a new second-generation Common Lisp?  Or
are we proposing to tell the world shortly that the book isn't really
the Real Common Lisp, please make the following forty changes to your
copy?  Once we have answered this question, then we can agree on a general
philosophy about what degree of change is allowable.