Re: "like other editors" [

[Ian Zimmerman <itz@buug.org>]

Richard> Having to change common UI motions from app to app is a
Richard> pain. While I agree not all things should be embraced more
Richard> recent changes like how select, mark and clipboards work make
Richard> it FAR easier for the newer adopter : hard core users are more
Richard> than able to customise back to the 1994 "standard" they prefer
Richard> as the previous poster mentioned.

With Emacs, this may be true (I sure hope it is, because I sense the
proposal with go through).  But in general, when a package or program
decides to "embrace" we hard core users face a sad choice: retrain our
fingers to the Windows way (and yes, that _is_ what it is, if you trace
it to the source), or "customise back" and give up any new features,
because they are usually not compatible with the old interface.  It
happens again and again, and I'm sick of it.  Emacs has been sort of
like last bastion, and if it falls I give up computing as a passion and
approach it strictly for the money.  Seriously.

Richard> Always try to remember the hassles you had when embracing
Richard> emacs. Only then can you judge more dispassionately.

I do remember that time (around 1995).  I came from Windows too, and the
initial difficulties were totally worth it.

Richard> You dont think emacs sharing certain features with much more
Richard> popular editors might be a good idea and makes sense?

Emacs is different because it is first and foremost a programmer's
editor.  It is true that it has acquired features for more general text
processing but it always felt those were there so the programmers didn't
have to switch to something different when they composed their emails
:-)  Now this proposal would make Emacs itself into something different :-(

People who normally edit general text and only occassionally drop into
highly structured text or code are better served by a simpler editor,
IMO.

-- 
Ian Zimmerman
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