Proposal for Common LISP Registrar

["Scott E. Fahlman" <Fahlman@CMU-CS-C.ARPA>]

This looks very good to me.  Paul has worked out nice solutions to
several of the problems I raised in my earlier message.

On the issue of registering implementation-specific extensions, a few
comments:

It is essential that any implementation group be free to extend their
own Common Lisp in any compatible way, without asking anyone's
permission.  Given that, there is considerable benefit to having these
groups publicize the extensions they have decided to make, so that other
groups making similar extension can do this in a way that is not
gratuitously incompatible.  The goal of universal compatibility is even
better served if the group making the extension is willing to make the
code available to others.  I'm sure that some companies and universities
will be more forthcoming about this than others -- there's a tradeoff
between compatibility with competitors and the possibility of gaining an
advantage by keeping such information private.

In any event, "registering" this information is a rather more complex
business than simply registering package names and keywords.  Perhaps
the right mechanism is for companies to be encouraged to make their red
pages available to other implementation groups through some sort of
clearinghouse.  A central registry could keep a list of groups willing
to supply such info, the address to write to when you want such info,
and perhaps an index of what extensions are included in each company's
stuff.

-- Scott