Re: Space requirements

["Arthur A. Gleckler" <arthur@martigny.ai.mit.edu>]

|  Date: Thu, 15 Jan 1998 15:21:54 -0600 (CST)
|  From: Shriram Krishnamurthi <shriram@cs.rice.edu>
|  To: rrrs-authors@martigny.ai.mit.edu
|  Subject: Space requirements
|  		     
|  Speaking as an outsider to the R5RS authors group, I wonder why
|  publication is not being stayed awhile.
|  		     
|  I share Matthias Blume's concern that the new language does not add
|  much to the clarity of the document.  While perfection is an untenable
|  goal, Clinger's work may present a very reasonable compromise.  Why
|  not issue a temporary moratorium, await the acceptance of Clinger's
|  paper, and base the language on Clinger's classification?
|  		     
|  It would be especially unfortunate if the Report is clarified in just
|  a few months -- when a small delay would allow the Report to cite its
|  own clarification.

Please, let's not wait for anything.  The last thing we need is
another delay.  Release of the report has been delayed by years
already.  If there's anything else that needs to be insanely perfect,
let's wait to fix it in Rn+1RS.

I've been on this mailing list for many years, although I rarely say
anything.  That's partly out of fear that anything I might say could
give rise to another overzealous, infinitely deep round of discussion
that never results in a decision, but only serves to postpone
publication of the report another six months or a year.  That is not
to say that there isn't a great deal of excellent work done on the
list, but gee whiz!  At some point, you have to agree to disagree on
some of the details and get the report out.

There's a lot of other good work in R5RS that should finally be made
official.  Wording is important, but at this point it's not important
enough to delay publication any longer.