RE: Bikeshedding go! Why is <M-f4> unbound?

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

> > There is no reason for Emacs to bind Alt-F4 (or M-f4) by default.
> > It should be kept for anyone to bind to anything.  (Just 
> > one more opinion.)
> 
> On the other hand, it wouldn't be a big deal for Emacs to have a
> default binding. Anyone who cares enough will be able to rebind it.
> 
> There's always discussion about making Emacs a more well behaved
> application on Windows and this seems like a low-hanging fruit?

I respectfully disagree.

1. There's _no special reason_ to give _this_ key a default binding.

2. While it is true that a default binding can be overridden, that's not a good
enough argument for making a _particular_ default binding.

3. Default bindings tend to become sacrosanct in the eyes of many over time.  A
library (or even a user) that binds one can be thought by some to be going
against the grain (convention).

4. It's not because some key is unbound that we should give it a default
binding.  If the argument that a default binding can always be overridden were
sufficient for creating default bindings, then we would bind _every_ key by
default.  Even a random default binding would be bound to please someone, and
"Anyone who cares enough will be able to rebind it."

5. Slippery slope.  Windows uses key XYZ for blah, so we bind it.  Then someone
says "Hey, we respect the Windows binding by default for XYZ, why not also for
UVW and RST and ...?

"It wouldn't be a big deal for Emacs to have a default binding" - epitaph on a
tombstone in Boot Hill, Tombstone, Arizona.