[External] : Emacs website, Lisp, and other

[Christopher Dimech <dimech@gmx.com>]

> Sent: Wednesday, August 07, 2024 at 10:10 AM
> From: "Dr. Arne Babenhauserheide" <arne_bab@web.de>
> To: "Drew Adams" <drew.adams@oracle.com>
> Cc: "Christopher Dimech" <dimech@gmx.com>, "Jeremy Bryant" <jb@jeremybryant.net>, "Eli Zaretskii" <eliz@gnu.org>, "emacs-devel@gnu.org" <emacs-devel@gnu.org>, "rms@gnu.org" <rms@gnu.org>
> Subject: Re: [External] : Emacs website, Lisp, and other
>
> Drew Adams <drew.adams@oracle.com> writes:
> > language / hyperbole, IMO that description is not
> > only too subdued
> 
> I’ll add that being subdued about strength can actually be harmful.
> 
> While false marketing is a problem, not doing marketing and not pointing
> out the strengths of your project causes people to use systems that are
> less suited to their requirements than your project.

For Emacs development, the use of Elisp is quite clear.  Customizations
are done in Elisp.  Perhaps add some examples that other editors cannot do.
For instance, with the work of Protesilaos Stavrou, we have accessible
themes.  Astonishing work.
 
> Because other people will use marketing. And marketing works.
> 
> But marketing can be honest. Its goal is then to ensure that the people
> to whom your project would be useful learn about the project.¹
> 
> ⇒ Good marketing starts with the existing strengths of a project and
>   finds people to whom these strengths are useful.
> 
> This also means to use language that conveys enthusiasm.
> 
> If you are silent about actual strength of your project, many people to
> whom choosing your project would be the best decision will not find your
> project when they are in a situation where they can choose it.
> 
> So the Emacs website and documentation should not sell elisp short.

To sell it is by application, not words.  The biggest difficulty is getting
others to use the editor, and to make it easier for them to use elisp to
make emacs work better for them.  It does take some months to get productive
with it though.
 
 
> Best wishes,
> Arne
> 
> ¹ https://www.draketo.de/anderes/honest-marketing#what-is-good-marketing
> -- 
> Unpolitisch sein
> heißt politisch sein,
> ohne es zu merken.
> draketo.de
>