Good to hear more discussion and opinions on this matter.
There seem to be some differencies in how people perceive the modifications working in the game world, and from devs point of view it gets a few more extra layers and viewpoints to it.
To pinpoint it; modding code modifies the existing elements, more or less. It can't modify the properties the items don't have, or to add game mechanics that don't exist. For example, items have a name, and it can be modified to anything at all, but naming cat a dog doesn't make it essentially a dog. Nevertheless, lots of things and stuff to do can be created with the modding code.
With the above in mind, one must understand that even with a separate key or limitless mod entry space the player confusion with mod created items may continue happen when new mechanics are introduced. For example, if there are modded hafts or items put together from modded heads and hafts, they aren't working as genuine multi-part hafted items in the game. (I don't know actually how the game might deal with such but maybe the hafts won't wear out, the proper head doesn't drop when the item breaks, and so on.) Confusion and frustration may follow as players who aren't into modding will have to deal with the oddly and wrongly working items. It's not a problem for those who are aware of the modding and it's underlying mechanics, and maybe can even convert items as in Plotinus's example, but with the public mods who get into hands of average players the remedy or regarding information in these cases is best to come quickly.
Surely, a separate modding make menu will make things (also updating) easier and also keep the original and modified entries nicely separate. But it may be that for an average player who's used to create modded item A from, say a new Modders Make menu, they may fail to notice it having appeared as a genuine game feature or item to the original Make menu. So the confusion and game mechanics incompatibility with the modded items is evident to happen to some extent from time to time, even if there was limitless space. But it's ok when it's remembered, understood and addressed clearly to the mod users when necessary.
In any case, separate menu seems to get support from this small bunch of thread participants.
But it really doesn't happen just like this:
.Modders Make Menu. "Make menu" [effort:0] *CODING* %50% /5m/
{Make menu}
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