RE: Transient Mark Mode on by default

["Drew Adams" <drew.adams@oracle.com>]

> > > Emacs is fully customizable, but only advanced users *really can*
> > > customize.
> >
> > If that is true, then we need to improve the customization 
> > process. It is OK for some customizing to be only for
> > advanced users, but it is not good for all
> > customizing to be only for advanced users.
> >
> > Can you point out some specific customization problems for 
> > a beginner (in a new
> > thread?) The first step to fixing them is to identify them.
> 
> Most average developpers I know will simply never tweak any of the
> piece of software they use. You are all very smart here, so I'm sure
> you are not concerned at all, but really I think a lot of people are.
> Some developpers I know will start to tweak their tools after many
> monthes of happy usage with default settings.
> Almost none of them will start to tweak it *before* really using it.
> 
> I think emacs customization process is already fairly good. But many
> beginners will simply give up *before* even discovering M-x customize
> ... sad, but true at least for people I know.

In that case, what you meant was not that "only advanced users *really can*
customize" but that "only advanced users *will try to* customize". That is a big
difference.

And I doubt that it is true. Emacs is an "extensible" editor, and sooner or
later users discover this and take advantage of it. Some new users might take
longer to discover that, but I doubt that *only advanced* users customize at
all.

But yes, if a newbie Emacs user is in the habit of *never* changing app
preferences, then s?he might need to discover that Emacs is especially
customizable, and that s?he really might want to customize it in some ways.