bug#56508: Suggestions for the "Help" menu

[Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>]

> From: Stefan Kangas <stefan@marxist.se>
> Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2022 22:16:00 -0500
> Cc: 56508@debbugs.gnu.org
> 
> Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> writes:
> 
> >> From: Stefan Kangas <stefan@marxist.se>
> >> Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2022 21:04:51 -0500
> >>
> >> Suggestions for the "Help" menu:
> >
> > I object.  We just reshuffled that menu recently, let's not touch it
> > for another major release or two.
> 
> Sorry, I must have missed that we did that.  In any case, I don't think
> that is very good grounds for not making further improvements.

Oh yes, it is: every significant change in the UI/UX means confusion
for users who are used to the previous one.  It is only kind to them
to let them some time to adapt.

> > Specific comments:
> >
> >>     1. Remove "Emacs FAQ".  It is not nearly as up-to-date as the
> >>        manual, and most users these days will either find it by other
> >>        means or just search the web.
> >
> > So you are basically saying we don't need the FAQ?
> 
> I'm saying that we don't need it in the menu (at least not in its
> current shape).

Many applications that are serious about their users have such a menu
item on the Help menu.  I see no reason why Emacs shouldn't.

> >>     2. Remove "Emacs Psychotherapist".  Sorry, but in terms of chatbots
> >>        there are *way* better ones out there these days.  If anything,
> >>        move it to "Games".
> >
> > I object to making Emacs dead serious, because it will make it dead.
> 
> Agreed, but there is plenty of space between "dead serious" and
> "whimsical".

<Shrug> it's a matter of personal opinion, so let's not argue about
that.  The important question is: does that single menu item do any
harm?

> >>        Should it get a better name?
> >
> > Do you have any suggestions?
> 
> "Show Multilanguage Status" is already an improvement.

Not really: it isn't correct English, for starters.

We could use m17n, but I doubt that would be clearer.

Our current stopgap is to tell more in the help-echo (which you for
some reason ignore in your criticism).

> >>     5. "Describe Coding System Briefly" under "Describe" -- is this
> >>        useful?  I just get this cryptic message here:
> >>
> >>        F[U:],K[U:],T[U:],P>[=:],P<[=:], default F[U:],P>[U:],P<[U:]
> >
> > It's completely understandable here: File encoding, Keyboard encoding,
> > Terminal encoding, Process encoding (input and output).
> 
> I don't doubt that you understand it, but I don't think many new users
> will.  I don't understand almost any of it myself.  For example, what
> does "=:" mean?

Do you understand those mnemonics on the mode line?  Then why not
here?

And what does "default" mean?  It means "default".  Each coding-system
has its default value and its current value.  Cf
buffer-file-coding-system and (default-value 'buffer-file-coding-system).

> This looks like a power-users tool, not like something that belongs in
> the help menu, to me.

Power users sometimes need help, too.

Of course, if you have a less cryptic way to say all that in a single
line, I'm all ears.