Reviving proper tail calls?

I prefer "implicit PTC" (current spec) but with revised wording that would widen the possibilities for various engine implementations, as discussed earlier in this thread.

However, it seems almost impossible for that to ever happen from the current state. The years-long stalemate is bad for JS and for engines.

As for whether TC39 could remove PTC without consensus, I have changed my mind from earlier positions: I now strongly feel that TC39 can, and should, remove PTC from the spec. This needs to happen first before any possible progress on tail calls can happen.

The webkit folks don't have standing to object to the removal, as this doesn't betray or invalidate their implementation at all. Had PTC never been added, I believe webkit could have added this "feature" as an optimization without being in spec violation. So even if the spec part is removed, that doesn't harm webkit.

I believe the editor of the spec should make an executive decision that any spec'd feature (or typo or bug or wording or ..) which is later openly defied by implementation(s) -- irreconcilably so -- is a post facto veto, and therefore can and must be removed, retroactively stricken from the standard.

I imagine there may be some "legal" objection (ECMA, etc) to that, so in effect the next best thing is just to inline the change in the next spec revision without need for consensus.

In any case, we need to do a reset on this topic so we can then have productive discussion about any possible path forward.