Re: New start up splash screen annoyance...

[David Kastrup]

address@hidden (Kim F. Storm) writes:

> Richard Stallman <address@hidden> writes:
>
>> I don't think an echo area message can do the job, because there
>> is not enough room. 
>
> Really?  Something like this would be quite sufficient IMVHO.
>
> (if menu-bar-mode
>     (message
> "Welcome to GNU Emacs, one component of the GNU/Linux system.
> Please view \"About Emacs\" and \"About GNU\" on the Help menu.
>
> Use the Help menu to try out the Emacs Tutorial, view the Emacs Manuals,
> copying instructions, how to order printed copies of manuals and much more.
>
> GNU Emacs comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY.  See Help > (Non)Warranty.
>
> To quit a partially entered command, type Control-g.  
> Use Control-x Control-c To exit Emacs")
>   (message
> "Welcome to GNU Emacs, one component of the GNU/Linux system.
> Type Control-g to quit a command.  Control-x Control-c to Exit.
>
> Type C-h C-t to try out the Emacs Tutorial, C-h r to view the Emacs Manuals,
> C-h C-h for a list of other help topics including copying instructions
> and how to order printed copies of manuals.
>
> GNU Emacs comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY.  See C-h C-w."))
>
>> An extra level of indirection would be far
>> less effective.
>
> I don't follow.

My suggestion was to use something like

(message "Type f1 C-a for important information about Emacs and the GNU 
project")

(or a tooltip), just more persistent than message ordinarily is.  That
would be the added level at indirection.

>> The idea of popping up two frames seems worth trying.
>> Would someone like to try it?
>
> I would find that exteremely annoying.  
> And I don't see how it can work with -nw mode.

I don't think that a large "message" will do the trick: it will
disappear too easily, and if one would instead force it to stay around
for 30 seconds or so, again, it would be quite annoying.

I agree that it would be less obnoxious than the current variant, but
I think it is more annoying than necessary when one does not want the
information, while it is less reliable when one wants it.

I have my doubts that this discrepance can be resolved really
satisfactorily without what Richard calls "an extra level of
indirection".

-- 
David Kastrup