Timothy Murphy <[log in to unmask]> writes:

> But I do not at the moment feel any urge to use \splitdiscards
> or any of the other macros you suggest,

Neither does any other end user.  Nor do any of you feel
an urge to use \vsplit, \lastbox, \unskip, \splittopskip,
\floatingpenalty, etc.  The point is you *do* use them
through nifty features of LaTeX or additional packages.
There are other features that can't be implemented while
LaTeX runs on TeX.  It is for the ignorant hoi polloi like
you that the switch to from TeX to eTeX has to just "happen",
without your realizing it.

I don't hold my breath, because even the LaTeX kernel never
progressed to using \holdinginserts.

Donald Arseneau                          [log in to unmask]