Re: C-f, C-b, C-n and C-p or right, left, down, up?

[Barry Margolin <barry.margolin@level3.com>]

In article <vd0u16mtpjt.fsf@kogs31.informatik.uni-hamburg.de>,
Sven Utcke  <utcke+news@informatik.uni-hamburg.de> wrote:
>Well, considering where C-y is on an american keyboard (it's fine on a
>German one, incidentially), makes one wonder if Emacs control
>sequences where ever designed for anything but mnemonic value --- Most
>of them certainly are in strange places.

Almost all the key bindings that have been around since the early days
(late 70's) were chosen solely for mnemonic value.  I don't think
ergonomics was given much consideration at all (I don't recall hearing
about Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or RSI until several years later).

>I for one use the arrow keys where available, even after using Emacs
>for 10 years, and while rarely using the mouse...

One thing I find that I think helps quite a bit is heavy use of C-u.  When
I want to go up or down by a bunch of lines, I type C-u C-p/C-n or C-u C-u
C-p/C-n rather than typing C-p/C-n many times.  C-u C-p C-u C-p ... is
pretty comfortable to type; my left pinky sits on the Control key, and I
just rock back and forth between my right index and ring fingers.

-- 
Barry Margolin, barry.margolin@level3.com
Level(3), Woburn, MA
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