Re: [Emacs-diffs] /srv/bzr/emacs/trunk r99650: Put scroll-bar on right by default on UNIX.

[Richard Stallman]

    I think it's based on the assumption that a scroll bar is an essential
    part of editing that nobody can bear to be without; that it'll be getting
    used so often that nobody could possibly object to it.  I think these
    assumptions warrant examination, particularly under Emacs.

It's based on the assumption that the user will use the scroll bar to
scroll.  That's not true for all users -- for instance, I would never
use the scroll bar to scroll in Emacs, because the keyboard is so much
more convenient.

The scroll bar can also be used to see where in the buffer you are.
It is not necessary to use the scroll bar for this, since the mode
line gives the same info.  But some people may have the habit of
getting it from the scroll bar.  Maybe people who use the scroll bar
that way would prefer it on the right.

If you don't use the scroll bar, you may as well turn it off.

I expect that beginners are more likely to use the scroll bar, while
experienced users would not.  But the experienced users can turn off
the scroll bar, or move it, so we need not cater to them.  The
beginners are the most important users to think about when making this
decision.