From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.io!.POSTED.ciao.gmane.io!not-for-mail From: excalamus--- via "Emacs development discussions." Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.devel Subject: RE: (emacs) Intro [was: Making Emacs popular again with a video] Date: Thu, 28 May 2020 03:21:34 +0200 (CEST) Message-ID: References: <779cc2b0-c546-2a80-afd3-79f10bda1b7e@yandex.ru> Reply-To: excalamus@tutanota.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Injection-Info: ciao.gmane.io; posting-host="ciao.gmane.io:159.69.161.202"; logging-data="36639"; mail-complaints-to="usenet@ciao.gmane.io" Cc: Drew Adams , Emacs Devel To: excalamus@tutanota.com Original-X-From: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane-mx.org@gnu.org Thu May 28 03:22:19 2020 Return-path: Envelope-to: ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane-mx.org Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([209.51.188.17]) by ciao.gmane.io with esmtps (TLS1.2:ECDHE_RSA_AES_256_GCM_SHA384:256) (Exim 4.92) (envelope-from ) id 1je7FT-0009RA-D2 for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane-mx.org; Thu, 28 May 2020 03:22:19 +0200 Original-Received: from localhost ([::1]:45020 helo=lists1p.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.90_1) (envelope-from ) id 1je7FS-00041n-Co for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane-mx.org; Wed, 27 May 2020 21:22:18 -0400 Original-Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([2001:470:142:3::10]:41148) by lists.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS1.2:ECDHE_RSA_AES_256_GCM_SHA384:256) (Exim 4.90_1) (envelope-from ) id 1je7Es-0003Lq-Ss for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Wed, 27 May 2020 21:21:42 -0400 Original-Received: from w1.tutanota.de ([81.3.6.162]:33940) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS1.2:ECDHE_RSA_AES_256_GCM_SHA384:256) (Exim 4.90_1) (envelope-from ) id 1je7Eq-0003j9-N5 for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Wed, 27 May 2020 21:21:42 -0400 Original-Received: from w3.tutanota.de (unknown [192.168.1.164]) by w1.tutanota.de (Postfix) with ESMTP id 9EB65FA03CD; Thu, 28 May 2020 01:21:34 +0000 (UTC) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; q=dns/txt; c=relaxed/relaxed; t=1590628894; s=s1; d=tutanota.com; h=From:From:To:To:Subject:Subject:Content-Description:Content-ID:Content-Type:Content-Type:Content-Transfer-Encoding:Content-Transfer-Encoding:Cc:Cc:Date:Date:In-Reply-To:In-Reply-To:MIME-Version:MIME-Version:Message-ID:Message-ID:Reply-To:References:References:Sender; bh=IU648OpCl6IQzB6AGKsUkP+F+ZbfDmakyc1ywezPgzM=; b=vzF+SktT+Ss+uqCiis4i3Q51Eq6MgCamwT3LEtetXAl6DoJL4yVZvFIjultwr1vA 7XsQ36UgdCwjIchZC5cBBbwIV/GDJ/9rW9PG/f/RtTRJkEo4FxveF27+CXTZ5mvcsDH yxgx0huBj1jSzvAWsyhvdtNNl2KxSDHVP1YHmyqbvjM6KvPSCo1EFw+R3O+OJumie2H 9UdOGnXScXiRoJ94ktipFa4Lvj/UoFPQJACYuSA5XXkUDwvy/0e2MpSmdrnMzrD8N68 FCEU/izs0xiebol8A/7Yq+tCLQxVDQLsorhtBnrV3S5UXSfDju13LrmYo+TCEJ+rKCH qffeBMo4zw== In-Reply-To: Received-SPF: pass client-ip=81.3.6.162; envelope-from=excalamus@tutanota.com; helo=w1.tutanota.de X-detected-operating-system: by eggs.gnu.org: First seen = 2020/05/27 21:21:34 X-ACL-Warn: Detected OS = Linux 2.2.x-3.x [generic] X-Spam_score_int: -27 X-Spam_score: -2.8 X-Spam_bar: -- X-Spam_report: (-2.8 / 5.0 requ) BAYES_00=-1.9, DKIM_SIGNED=0.1, DKIM_VALID=-0.1, DKIM_VALID_AU=-0.1, DKIM_VALID_EF=-0.1, RCVD_IN_DNSWL_LOW=-0.7, RCVD_IN_MSPIKE_H4=0.001, RCVD_IN_MSPIKE_WL=0.001, SPF_HELO_PASS=-0.001, SPF_PASS=-0.001, URIBL_BLOCKED=0.001 autolearn=_AUTOLEARN X-Spam_action: no action X-BeenThere: emacs-devel@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.23 Precedence: list List-Id: "Emacs development discussions." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane-mx.org@gnu.org Original-Sender: "Emacs-devel" Xref: news.gmane.io gmane.emacs.devel:251525 Archived-At: Updated the proposed intro based on everyone's excellent feedback! > (nil)Top > > Welcome to the Exciting World of GNU Emacs! > ******************************************* > > GNU Emacs is born of two ideas, the GNU project and Emacs editors.=C2=A0 = The > goal of the GNU project is to provide a complete, free software system. > This means GNU Emacs respects you. It can adapt to how you work, not the > other way around![1] An "Emacs" is a command oriented text editor > designed for introspection and extensibility.=C2=A0 These qualities enabl= e > far more than basic word processing, as this manual describes. > > "Introspection" means GNU Emacs has self-knowledge.=C2=A0 Every aspect of= the > system is documented and accessible.=C2=A0 Each level of inquiry has > tutorials, guides, and references.=C2=A0 It can answer questions like, "W= hat > commands might help me?", "What does this do?", and, "How does this > work?"=C2=A0 The documentation extends from general concepts to the sourc= e > code itself!=C2=A0 GNU Emacs has everything conveniently in-house, at you= r > fingertips.=C2=A0 See Help. > > "Extensibility" means that you can alter GNU Emacs itself.=C2=A0 You can > customize the environment, from keyboard shortcuts to color themes, and > most everything in-between.=C2=A0 See Customization.=C2=A0 Moreover, you = can > create and apply new commands in real-time. These can be packaged and > shared with the diverse Emacs community.=C2=A0 Most of GNU Emacs is writt= en > in Lisp.=C2=A0 See Emacs Lisp Intro(eintr) if you want to learn how to ex= tend > GNU Emacs. > > Authors and researchers, as well as programmers, use GNU Emacs.=C2=A0 It = has > seen active development for more than 40 years and includes innumerable > features; it is a heritage as much as a tool.=C2=A0 We love GNU Emacs bec= ause > we find its editing environment a rewarding experience like no other. > We hope you'll feel that way, too. > >=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 ---------- Footnotes ---------- > >=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 [1] GNU is a recursive acronym for GNU's Not Unix.=C2= =A0 The 'G' in GNU >=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 is not silent.=C2=A0 To learn more about the GNU projec= t and how it can >=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 benefit you, see Philosophy () I like this revision, though I have two reservations: First, I think it oversells the accessibility of the documentation. The Emacs documentation is extensive and well written.=C2=A0 However, I find it quite difficult to navigate to a concept if that thing isn't a function or variable.=C2=A0 I have been a beginner and asked myself, "What is a cons cell?".=C2=A0 I found then, as I often still do, that leaving Emacs (to use a web browser) yields results fast enough to not use Emacs itself.=C2=A0 Ironically, I most often wind up at the gnu.org html documentation. Second, the menu description is "Intro::An introduction to Emacs concepts" which is no longer true in this version.=C2=A0 I have updated it to be an intro to *GNU* Emacs, which includes reference to the GNU project.=C2=A0 I consider being a component of the GNU system a feature and something integral to distinguishing GNU Emacs from other Emacsen.=C2=A0 It feels right to talk about it in the manual introduction.=C2=A0 However, this implies structural, if not intention, changes to the overall manual.=C2=A0 I feel those are over my head at this point.=C2=A0 There are = less dramatic doc tasks to assist with. Thoughts?