Re: emacs-w3m question

[Richard Riley <rileyrgdev@gmail.com>]

Chris McMahan <cmcmahan@one.net> writes:

> Richard Riley <rileyrgdev@gmail.com> writes:
>
>> Paul R <paul.r.ml@gmail.com> writes:
>>
>>> Dear Xavier,
>>>
>>> Xavier> What's more, directional keys are one of the dumbest addition
>>> Xavier> one could have thought off (in my opinion). The same apply for
>>> Xavier> numerical keypad: what are they useful for exactly ? Is it that
>>> Xavier> hard to press shift+& (for the azerty keyboard) to get a 1 ? Or
>>> Xavier> press C-b to move point left ? I do not think so.
>>>
>>> Xavier> The real reason that comes to mind is lazyness. People do not
>>> Xavier> want to (take time to) learn how to do things, they want to go
>>> Xavier> fast (even if they go fast wrongly). Keyboard (or typing more
>>> Xavier> generally) is just an example, there are so many other applying
>>> Xavier> here...
>>>
>>> This sounds sooo much like overstated elitism. You may prefer to use C-b
>>> and C-f and S-&, because you're so good and so l33t, this will never
>>> change the point : beginners don't, period. Default settings must help
>>> those people, who have not yet set their .emacs, to use and try the
>>> software and see if they like it or not.
>>
>> That's pretty much as I see it too. And only recently having become
>> proficient enough with emacs once again I can attest to the difficulties
>> involved in understanding some of the more antiquated defaults which do
>> not take into account beginners. It takes a special kind of curmudgeon
>> to deny that setting the arrow keys to move the cursor the same as
>> virtually every other application in the world would help Emacs uptake.
>
> My only issue with making the arrow keys the default setting is that it
> forces me to take my hands away from the home keys. I don't like using
> page-up and page-down for the same reason.
>
> I'd have no objection as long as the standard cursor movement keys (C-n
> C-p C-f and C-b) are also enabled.
>
> - Chris

No one has suggested not keeping the existing bindings. But since the
arrow keys are indeed bound by default I think in emacs 22 etc then it's
more an argument of "whether" the keys should be bound :-; And of course
they should. Xavier seems to be more of the view "do not bind them"
since people will be "lazy". My cursor keys on a cherry kbd are to the
right of the right ctrl key. I use them all the time and consider myself
a reasonable emacs user. Every other app users them near enough. I dont
see that emacs should be an exception. Note that I dont agree with Xah
on everything but I do agree with Paul R above.