__metaclass__ and __author__ are already decorators

[Leif K-Brooks]

Paul Morrow wrote:
> We just need to stop thinking of them as local function variables. 
> Instead we should think of __xxx__ attributes as describing the function 
> itself (i.e. as a decorator would), as I believe that is almost always 
> the author's intention when he/she uses such names inside of a 
> function/method definition.  He wants to say something about the 
> function (who wrote it, it's version, etc.), and is probably sad that it 
> has the side-effect of creating a local variable.  So it probably 
> shouldn't have that side-effect anymore.  It should create a function 
> attribute instead (not to be confused with a local variable).

Which is, like I said, assigning new meaning to an old syntax. That 
seems confusing to me; why not just create a new syntax?