Re: [solved] Re: How to uninstall Emacs?

[Emanuel Berg <embe8573@student.uu.se>]

Bob Proulx <bob@proulx.com> writes:

> I also suggest that people keep a journey log of
> their travels through the system. Memory is a fickle
> thing. Confirmation bias is always skewing our
> beliefs. The palest ink is better than the strongest
> memory. Keeping data on the reality can keep
> us objective.

The best journey log in computing is the sweet
initialization files for Emacs and the shell (bash,
zsh, etc.). Those are actually programs - tools, not
mere "initialization".

So, instead of writing "today I learned how to do word
padding in zsh ...", you save that particular function
where you used it in such a file, as in (third line in the
function body)

    rup () {
            local word=$1
            local rudict=~/ru.txt
            echo -n ${(r:12:: :)word} >> $rudict
            trans -b -p en:ru $word | tee -a $rudict
            trans -b -p en:ru $word > /dev/null
    }

Next time you experience the need to do that, you
think - "...didn't I do that in that function that
did...", and then you just look it up.

Not to say there is anything wrong with the natural
language log but I would suspect you'd be bored pretty
soon doing it and stop eventually. The init file
method amounts to the same but is more fun and
productive (not forgetting the main purpose, to give
you access to the actual functions).

Another things is to always bookmark things you Google
(if you find a solution, of course). Problems tend to
reoccur and finding the same page isn't that easy,
always. When you bookmark, be sure to name the
bookmark not the name of the page, but the command or
function name or syntax that solves your particular
problem. That way, in time, you'll not have to follow
the bookmark links but the bookmark titles will be
a small reference to encountered (and solved)
problems, and the links can be followed only when
needed. Also, the extra effort to setup a bookmark
will offer a pause for the brain to assimilate
the new knowledge.

-- 
underground experts united
http://user.it.uu.se/~embe8573