Re: emacs24 X primary selection changes

[Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>]

> > I don't know why the default was changed.  I assume it is further encroachment
> of CUA mode
> > to be more MS Windows like since I can't think of any other reason.
> 
> I can't speak for Emacs Dev obviously, and I might have misunderstood, but I
> believe that all of the default changes wrt selection etc. were to bring Emacs
> more into line with X Window.  AFAIK, nothing to do with CUA or MS Windows. 

The initiative indeed came from Unix and X side, and was inspired by
how X applications behave lately.  But I strongly suspect that the
latter was in turn caused by slow intoxication of the Unix world by
features and behavior originating from Windows.  E.g., the fact that
clipboard data is manipulated by keyboard was always how Windows
behaved (because there was never an X selection on Windows).  Of
course, now there's a whole "philosophy" behind that...

In general, we now have a generation of people using Posix systems
whose UI experience and expectations come from Windows-based behavior
or from other people whose experience is rooted in Windows.
Otherwise, I cannot explain why all the major X desktops look like
copies of the Windows desktop, including all of its annoyances.  I'm
afraid the next generation of X desktops will look like the silly
Windows 8 "Metro" thingy.