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Issue: PACKAGE-CLUTTER (Version 2)



    Date: Tue, 27 Sep 88 13:04 EDT
    From: Kent M Pitman <KMP@STONY-BROOK.SCRC.Symbolics.COM>

    How would you feel about something like the following. It's
    broader, but still tries to be specific...

     Symbols on the LISP package may have function or macro
     definitions, variable definitions or SPECIAL proclamations, or
     type definitions only if explicitly permitted in the specification.
     Neither users nor implementors are permitted to add new kinds of
     definitions for these symbols.

I agree with those who have commented that it is not Common Lisp
(the language)'s business to prohibit users from doing this.  It
would make sense to advise users that it's a dangerous practice.
I like the analogy with the advise to users to enclose names of
special variables in asterisks.

As for the system, I agree with what I think is your intent, but
the wording would need to be much more unambiguous for this to be
viable in a language specification.  I was going to try to help
with the wording, but decided I didn't have time.