Feeling uncomfortable with designation `public'

[Pierre MacKay]

My point is that I DON'T want a personal supplier directory, and
most of the contributors of fonts into the public domain
probably don't care either.  I saw one message ( I think from
a battle-weary Karl Berry) that suggested we were resigned
to dropping "public".  I still think it does better as
a general location for public domain fonts (and free
fonts that don't otherwise have a home) than a whole proliferation
of rather pseudish supplier names.

As for duplicate names in the tree (in response to another message)
the case of cmr??.*pk is a well-known instance of the requirement
to allow duplicate names, and there is no getting around it except
by permitting loooooong filenames.  That doesn't in itself supply
an argument in favor of allowing multiple instances of "symbol.mf"
The case of LaTeX2e and LaTeX209 is not a general instance because
it involves only an intermediate stage in the replacement of one
version of LaTeX by another.  The ultimate intent is that LaTeX209
will fade away like TeX78, isn't it?  And there seem to be adequate
techniques for getting around the duplicate name problem in that
one anomalous instance.  At least it ought to be anomalous.  

I have yet to be convinced that it is a good idea to fill a TDS
compliant *archive* with files having duplicate names.  If individual
installations wish to encumber themselves with that problem that
is another matter.  A more elaborate texmf.cnf can handle it if
it has to, and I suppose there must be techniques on other systems.

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