Re: C-f, C-b, C-n and C-p or right, left, down, up?

["Daniel B." <dsb@smart.net>]

Oliver Scholz wrote:
> 
> Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> writes:
> 
> ...
> 
> As for the telepathy-UI new in the CVS version, I am not sure whether
> it is worth the trouble. Last time I tried it, I found myself
> constantly misthinking. It only works for me if I concentrate hard
> enough not to think about anything â??wrongâ??. But as soon as I let my
> thoughts a little bit wander ... And even if I concentrate very hard,
> I don't have the necessary fine control yet. In general I have to use
> undo most of the time.

On the slightly serious side, that relates to something I've always
wondered:   

When someday we can read brainwaves and thoughts enough to control 
external devices, how hard will it be to distinguish between thoughts 
about doing something and the decision to actually do it?

On keyboards, or driving a car, you can have impulses and partial 
movement that happens but doesn't affect anything as long as it doesn't
exceed some threshold (e.g., the distance between your finger and
the key, or the level of pressure at which the key or gas pedal
activates).  We probably learn where that threshold is, and make sure
accepted impulses exceed the threshold and make sure unconfirmed 
impulses stay below that threshold.

I wonder if reading thoughts would work similarly.  Might it be that
if you think in passing about typing a space, nothing happens, but if
you really dwell on it (e.g., fantasize about it), a space would get
entered?



> I think this is a general problem with this sort of UI. It only works
> right, when you learn to use your editor as some sort of
> extra-limb. 

Actually, I already feel that Emacs _is_ my connection (like a limb) 
between my brain (and what I want to do with the text) and the text 
on the screen.

When the Control key isn't in the right place, or when I have to use
a an editor like Notepad, I feel like I'm editing with gloves on.
When I have to edit with vi (at which I'm very slow since I barely know 
it), it's almost like boxing gloves.


Daniel
-- 
Daniel Barclay
dsb@smart.net