Category Errors

[David A. Moon <Moon@STONY-BROOK.SCRC.Symbolics.COM>]

As a believer in open systems who doesn't think there should be distinctions
between system and user programs, I believe that Dick's arguments for defense
against defining bogus methods for MAKE-INSTANCE are equally as good
arguments for defense against defining bogus methods for any user-defined
generic function.  Remember that not all user-written programs are used only
by their author.

Dick, would you agree that if CLOS removes this blemish, it should be done
with a mechanism that is easily accessible to the programmer-in-the-street?

My second point was that although I favor removing this blemish, CLOS currently
contains several other similar blemishes added in the name of simplicity
(example, no equivalent to Flavors' :required-methods defflavor option), so
I predict that we will end up leaving this blemish in.  That's not an argument,
just an observation.