From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Emanuel Berg Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.help Subject: Re: [OT] reading recommendations? Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2014 19:43:10 +0100 Organization: Aioe.org NNTP Server Message-ID: <87iogyfe0x.fsf@debian.uxu> References: NNTP-Posting-Host: plane.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain X-Trace: ger.gmane.org 1419619525 13403 80.91.229.3 (26 Dec 2014 18:45:25 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@ger.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2014 18:45:25 +0000 (UTC) To: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org Original-X-From: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Fri Dec 26 19:45:20 2014 Return-path: Envelope-to: geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([208.118.235.17]) by plane.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.69) (envelope-from ) id 1Y4Zt1-0000ez-EH for geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Fri, 26 Dec 2014 19:45:19 +0100 Original-Received: from localhost ([::1]:54163 helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1Y4Zt0-00034Z-O4 for geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Fri, 26 Dec 2014 13:45:18 -0500 Original-Path: usenet.stanford.edu!news.kjsl.com!feeder.erje.net!eu.feeder.erje.net!newsfeed.fsmpi.rwth-aachen.de!newsfeed.straub-nv.de!news.mixmin.net!aioe.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail Original-Newsgroups: gnu.emacs.help Original-Lines: 70 Original-NNTP-Posting-Host: feB02bRejf23rfBm51Mt7Q.user.speranza.aioe.org Original-X-Complaints-To: abuse@aioe.org User-Agent: Gnus/5.13 (Gnus v5.13) Emacs/24.4 (gnu/linux) X-Notice: Filtered by postfilter v. 0.8.2 Cancel-Lock: sha1:ta8E2QmGAVAqVBV/jlUl3hxK3Ig= Mail-Copies-To: never Original-Xref: usenet.stanford.edu gnu.emacs.help:209447 X-BeenThere: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.14 Precedence: list List-Id: Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Original-Sender: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.help:101726 Archived-At: Eric Abrahamsen writes: > I'm asking here because I think Emacs (and Vim) are > perfect examples of "tools" which are "used", as > opposed to "machines" which are "operated". They > extend the boundaries of the self, and their usage > is in a way more physical than mental. I agree Emacs is very much physical once you get to know it. The configurations I am the most proud of are those that draw on that. For example, scrolling - I scroll one line at a time, up and down with M-i and M-k. This is because my left thumb... ah, I think you understand: it has to do with finger positions for typing, and i being directly above k on the keyboard, of course. Yes, it is physical more than mental (ha, "mental" use of an editor - is that Professor X controlling it with telepathy?) but it is mental as well, which is physical, which is... Remember the words of Hegel the Wise: "The body is a brain, and the brain is part of the body." If there is a distinction, it is: all basic, every-day stuff should be very easy to do. Easy and *fast*. Because if it is, you don't have to think about it *at all*. That means, you can think about what isn't basic, every-day, but what is difficult, and requires a creative solution. So when your mind feels good, and you want to do fun things, be sure not to waste that feeling and motivation to look for files, reboot the computer, etc., because you don't have to do that for much time before all that good karma is gone. So have everything arranged, always. "Care of kit", as they call it in the UK army (the best in the world?). Remember the best muay Thai warriors master kicking by throwing 1000 kicks every day. And the best hockey players in the NHL - contrary to the "highlights" they play again and again at burger shops - the best players are those who do the basic things the best, at the right times, and with the most confidence. All that fancy stuff is great fun, but it isn't what makes them great as hockey players. If you do basic stuff all day long, the advanced stuff - the shamanism if you will, or "highlight" stuff - that will just appear when you need it. And you will be surprised: Hey, I never practiced *that*! Indeed, not that you didn't... > I would like to read anything by any smart person > who has thought deeply about this question. I have thought about this, but not deeply I would say, because there isn't anything that deep about it. If it is, I'm to narrow-minded to see it. I wrote some about physical-mental ergonomics in this document. Make a search for Emacs, GUI, and especially the chapter "Editor looks", but it isn't deep - it is basic, like this post. http://user.it.uu.se/~embe8573/about/degree/x.pdf -- underground experts united