From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: James Freer Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.help Subject: Re: editor and word processor history (was: Re: RTF for emacs) Date: Fri, 30 May 2014 06:52:43 +0100 (BST) Message-ID: References: <87ha4d64r2.fsf@robertthorpeconsulting.com> <87bnuho13m.fsf@debian.uxu> <874n09nz3c.fsf_-_@debian.uxu> <87d2ewmbtf.fsf@debian.uxu> NNTP-Posting-Host: plane.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; format=flowed; charset=US-ASCII X-Trace: ger.gmane.org 1401429205 6517 80.91.229.3 (30 May 2014 05:53:25 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@ger.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 30 May 2014 05:53:25 +0000 (UTC) Cc: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org To: Emanuel Berg Original-X-From: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Fri May 30 07:53:18 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 1WqFki-0000E4-3s for geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Fri, 30 May 2014 07:53:16 +0200 Original-Received: from localhost ([::1]:51570 helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1WqFkh-0005a3-Lb for geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Fri, 30 May 2014 01:53:15 -0400 Original-Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([2001:4830:134:3::10]:36185) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1WqFkO-0005Zs-7K for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Fri, 30 May 2014 01:53:05 -0400 Original-Received: from Debian-exim by eggs.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1WqFkF-0000wg-5O for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Fri, 30 May 2014 01:52:56 -0400 Original-Received: from mail-wg0-x22c.google.com ([2a00:1450:400c:c00::22c]:38174) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1WqFkE-0000wa-Uh for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Fri, 30 May 2014 01:52:47 -0400 Original-Received: by mail-wg0-f44.google.com with SMTP id a1so1428313wgh.27 for ; Thu, 29 May 2014 22:52:45 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20120113; h=date:from:to:cc:subject:in-reply-to:message-id:references :user-agent:mime-version:content-type; bh=2/VRQZqTMS+J+3EQSXRM/b/DAtleL5wovQmQLEnl5tE=; b=gxcCHL3udtTb9jn07+xtJfhopaToywNnoCi4T3dtrPkc4kaVMEto5UGb0C+sAE6ofo qf6fZThDifeVj51Gl4m+hWGZvA+J0Dzwrau+E6Ag6D765TRqCUdBBsm4e4qqBGpbd+G4 EjF1rqLvjzs+5xCabCk39us94G+rTUWozjN+9Ux+9KGDNF36iQO3WzfEvCx1qSdreh0F W1VUxNfsz69jM2ZzzQ2hmgcwrzFFOke+F4DRVzDKfomnGgfMXMfiwa4oVzmpTm3DtGq6 h6zgNItV9qzI5uJP9jBGfCGOhnZJ8EwvbJf19UnqiRTQq0WaWbeW9dgi7bS/pT36qKHe XBbg== X-Received: by 10.194.201.195 with SMTP id kc3mr18247063wjc.54.1401429165840; Thu, 29 May 2014 22:52:45 -0700 (PDT) Original-Received: from james.home (host86-170-32-167.range86-170.btcentralplus.com. [86.170.32.167]) by mx.google.com with ESMTPSA id bx2sm7333591wjb.47.2014.05.29.22.52.44 for (version=TLSv1.1 cipher=ECDHE-RSA-RC4-SHA bits=128/128); Thu, 29 May 2014 22:52:45 -0700 (PDT) X-X-Sender: james@james In-Reply-To: <87d2ewmbtf.fsf@debian.uxu> User-Agent: Alpine 2.10 (DEB 1266 2009-07-14) X-detected-operating-system: by eggs.gnu.org: Error: Malformed IPv6 address (bad octet value). X-Received-From: 2a00:1450:400c:c00::22c 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:97967 Archived-At: On Fri, 30 May 2014, Emanuel Berg wrote: > James Freer writes: > >> Wordstar may have 'died' long ago but it had the most >> efficient keybindings of any editor/word processor - >> experts tell me! Writers still use it. Word Perfect >> and Word replaced it as you say - they were simpler >> to learn. > > What were the WS keybindings characteristics and what > makes them superior in your mind? > > And what do you mean by "writers" - do you mean writers > of novels, plays, etc.? Or do you mean writers like you > and me, right now? Ws keybindings were the most efficient requiring less movement across the keyboard. Designed when Caps lock was the ctrl key (also the same with emacs of years ago). Many writers (do a google) i.e. authors have an old PC that they keep for running WS on DOS. Just found Wordtsar (I mean the TSAR) a project started on a cross platform 'wordstar' but the project seem to have slowed down. DOS Word is popular too with writers it seems e.g. George Martin. But if someone had introduced him to emacs then.... We are all writers in the sense we use a word processor. I may be wrong but for me I find a console is less tiring on the eyes... another reason for me considering emacs, the console version will fit in with my console email client. To me emacs offers a lot for a writer, and I am experimenting with the WS keybindings but I think there is a bit of adjustment if one then switches to Org or something similar. Remaining with emacs keybindings is perhaps a better move. I'm just experimenting for a few days. james