Re: Emacs local variables sections in files; time-stamping

[Karl Berry]

    it's just that this feature of timestamp or checksum text in source
    files is more trouble than it's really worth.

Hmm, I'm surprised to find that I don't agree with you.

I find it extremely helpful to have a human-comprehensible version
number embedded in the file.  I am continually dealing with many
instances of (most of) these files, and knowing at a glance whether a
particular instance is up to date saves a ton of time.  A mere checksum
is not the same.  A diff is not the same.  Nothing, so far as I can see,
is the same.  I think this is one old convention of ours that's worth
preserving in this brave new world.

Anyway, from the other mail, it sounds like we'll be able to avoid the
"attack vector" while preserving the timestamps one way or another,
which would certainly be the best outcome.

Best,
karl