RE: font-lock-maximum-decoration should be 2 by default?

[Drew Adams]

>   > Yes, Emacs Dev concluded after many years that `t' is the 
>   > most appropriate default value.
> 
> Interesting. I am curious of reasons for that. Cannot see one 
> by myself, but I must be missing something.

Actually, the default has been `t' for as long as I can recall.  Eli has said it
is since 20.1.  Stefan has conjectured that it is ever since the variable has
existed.
http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/emacs-devel/2007-10/msg00799.html


But these too might be of interest.  Suggestion: start with the last.  This
useful feature (font-lock levels) is apparently already on its way to the trash
heap (its removal is marked `pending' for 24.2).  We will apparently soon have
no choice in the matter - the behavior will be hard-coded as maximum decoration.
http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/emacs-devel/2011-06/msg00587.html
http://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=6935#17
http://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=6935#23
http://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=6935#47