Issue: PROCLAIM-LEXICAL (Version 9)

[Kent M Pitman <KMP@STONY-BROOK.SCRC.Symbolics.COM>]

    Date: 8 Dec 88 21:54 PST
    From: masinter.pa@Xerox.COM

    I've attempted to make the edits that JonL suggested in
    his message of 18-Oct-88. 

To my great relief, these changes look generally quite fine.
Thanks, Larry.

    I wish this were shorter, e.g., that we could say what we have
    to say with less Discussion. I'm sorry I haven't the courage
    to tackle it.

Well, My training in writing for newspapers says this is not really much
of an issue as you might think. As long as the presentation is in
"inverse pyramid style" (order of diminishing importance), people can
stop reading when they've gotten the important stuff if they think the
writeup is too long. Of course, the poor guy we trick into Xeroxing copies
of all these issues and carry them halfway around the world to the meeting
(possibly in the other order) may not agree...

I have one substantive comment, by the way:

    Issue:        PROCLAIM-LEXICAL
    Edit history:
    ...
		  Version 9 by Masinter  8-Dec-88 (make JonL's changes)
    ...
    Proposal (PROCLAIM-LEXICAL:LG):
    ...
      Clarify that a dynamic binding of a variable creates a new binding
      in the dynamic environment (D) leaving the global environment (G)
      unaffected.
    ...

In the previous version, I used the verb "Define" for this, not "Clarify"
here. "Clarify" is technically ok but only if you understand how the formal
global environment (G) described here potentially differs from the global
environment actually implemented in the running Lisp (i.e., if you
understand why this description does not preclude shallow binding).
I had preferred the word "Define" because it makes people read more closely,
and because some people may not see this as a simple clarification.

I don't think it's worth re-issuing the proposal, but I do think it's
something we should be aware of in case it leads to confusion in the
open discussion -- so we can head it off quickly.

Overall, I'm extremely pleased with this how this writeup ended up.
I'm crossing my fingers that it will be well-received.