[steveklabnik]

The real rub is in step 4: it is not always easy to determine what the spec means. And then you're basically back to "let's ask on github/reddit etc."

[yencabulator]

Just because the comprehensiveness of something is on a spectrum is not a reason to just not bother and have none at all.

Also, when done well a spec is a great way to learn & understand the language too. http://golang.org/ref/spec is so much more usable than Typescript's docs.

[steveklabnik]

I agree that specifications are useful. I also think they're often presented as a panacea. It is important to acknowledge that they're a tool, with pros and cons, like any tool. The existence of a specification does not immediately mean that any and all ambiguities are resolved.