bug#16764: 24.3.50; Insertion point stops flashing when Emacs not hung -- please reconsider this new default behaviour

bug#16764: 24.3.50; Insertion point stops flashing when Emacs not hung -- please reconsider this new default behaviour

[N. Jackson]

Since I started using Emacs 24.3.50 I've noticed that the insertion
point stops flashing after about a dozen blinks (ten apparently). Every
time this happens I'm flooded with anxiety over how much work I will
have lost now that Emacs has crashed! After a while I realised this
happens predictably and the Emacs hasn't actually crashed. But that
hasn't lessened the waves of unconscious anxiety when it happens. In
fact I simply concluded that Emacs is unstable and was temporarilly
hanging frequently but briefly.

However, today, while doing a careful reading of the NEWS file, I see:

    ** The cursor stops blinking after 10 blinks (by default) on X
    and NS.
    You can change the default by customizing `blink-cursor-blinks'.

So I can get normal behaviour back with a (setq blink-cursor-blinks 0),
so it's not a big deal, but I feel that the wrong default has been
chosen for this variable.

The blinking of the insertion point allows one to locate it quickly --
otherwise it's nigh impossible to find.

[This is especially true if one has the cursor-type set to 'bar, which is
a much easier to use configuration -- otherwise one is constantly having
to remember at which edge of the block cursor the insertion point is,
and which character will be deleted when one uses the backspace key, and
the block cursor is unnecessarilly obrusive/distracting.]

Additionally, from the user's perspective, the blinking of the cursor is
the heartbeat of an application. When it stops, it signals that the
application is dead. This does not seem to be a sensible thing for Emacs
to signal to its users by default.

Unless there is a good reason for turning it off, I would like to
request that you consider leaving it on by default.

Thank you.

Regards,
N.

bug#16764: 24.3.50; Insertion point stops flashing when Emacs not hung -- please reconsider this new default behaviour

[Drew Adams]

> Unless there is a good reason for turning it off, I would
> like to request that you consider leaving it on by default.

FYI, this is the discussion thread that led to that change in
default behavior:
http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/emacs-devel/2013-07/msg00529.html

FWIW, I agree with you that this is not the right _default_
behavior.  By default, the cursor should be more noticeable,
and anyone not wanting that should be able to easily make it
less noticeable.

bug#16764: 24.3.50; Insertion point stops flashing when Emacs not hung -- please reconsider this new default behaviour

[Stefan Monnier]

> Unless there is a good reason for turning it off, I would like to
> request that you consider leaving it on by default.

Applications shouldn't keep running code indefinitely when they're
completely idle.  It's important for powersaving reasons.


        Stefan

bug#16764: 24.3.50; Insertion point stops flashing when Emacs not hung -- please reconsider this new default behaviour

[N. Jackson]

At 16:04 -0400 on Saturday 2014-02-15, Drew Adams wrote:

> FYI, this is the discussion thread that led to that change in default
> behavior:
> http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/emacs-devel/2013-07/msg00529.html

Thanks for the link to the earlier discussion Drew.

For me conservation of energy is a compelling reason for stopping the
blinking after some period of inactivity.

bug#16764: 24.3.50; Insertion point stops flashing when Emacs not hung -- please reconsider this new default behaviour

[N. Jackson]

At 23:18 -0400 on Sunday 2014-02-16, Stefan Monnier wrote:

>> Unless there is a good reason for turning it off, I would like to
>> request that you consider leaving it on by default.
>
> Applications shouldn't keep running code indefinitely when they're
> completely idle.  It's important for powersaving reasons.

Agreed.

Turning it off after five seconds might be a bit aggressive
though. Perhaps all you fast-thinking Emacs developers rarely pause in
your typing for longer than that, but I wouldn't consider a mere mortal
idle if they paused to think for a full twenty or thirty seconds!

Of course, it's one of those things where whatever default value you
choose, it's going to be the wrong one for most people.

In any case, being aware now of the reasons for the change has persuaded
me not to set blink-cursor-blinks to 0. For my set up, I have chosen a
value of 180.

bug#16764: 24.3.50; Insertion point stops flashing when Emacs not hung -- please reconsider this new default behaviour

[Glenn Morris]

N. Jackson wrote:

> Of course, it's one of those things where whatever default value you
> choose, it's going to be the wrong one for most people.
>
> In any case, being aware now of the reasons for the change has persuaded
> me not to set blink-cursor-blinks to 0. For my set up, I have chosen a
> value of 180.

Closing this because you came to agree with the change once it was explained.
The precise choice of time limit is a personal pref thing, and this
report has seen no subsequent comments, so no pointing keeping it open.