Should GHC default to -O1 ?

[wagnerdm at seas.upenn.edu]

Quoting Conrad Parker <conrad at metadecks.org>:

> I don't think compile time is an issue for new users when building
> HelloWorld.hs and getting the hang of basic algorithms and data
> structures. Anyone could explicitly set -O0 if they are worried about
> compile times for a larger project.

I don't agree that GHC's user interface should be optimized for  
newcomers to Haskell. GHC is an industrial-strength compiler with some  
very advanced features; the majority of its target audience is  
professional programmers. Let its interface reflect that fact.

As Simon explained, GHC's current defaults are a very nice point in  
the programming space for people who are actively building and  
changing their programs.

~d