Re: Emacs learning curve

[Lennart Borgman]

On Thu, Jul 22, 2010 at 9:21 PM, David Kastrup <address@hidden> wrote:
> David Kastrup <address@hidden> writes:
>
>> "Alfred M. Szmidt" <address@hidden> writes:
>>
>>>    > Advanced users should have no problem adding a single line to their
>>>    > .emacs to switch on the compatibility mode
>>>    > e.g. (enable-classic-bindings) and new users would enjoy the familiar
>>>    > CUA-style bindings out of the box.
>>>
>>>    I side with Tom, I wouldn't mind adding one line to my .emacs in favor
>>>    of easing new users experience.
>>>
>>> There is absolutley no proof that CUA would 'ease' a new users
>>> experience; there is proof that it would make make the experience
>>> harder for all who are accustomed to emacs though.


Of course there are evidence that CUA would make it easier in some
respect for new users. They would immediately be able to use the CUA
keys.


>> I don't see that adding mode-, selection- and keypress-timing dependent
>> behavior in order to arrive at something that magically works half the
>> time like Notepad, half the time like Emacs, does much to make an
>> editing application more accessible to a new user.


Emacs is already mode dependent since it is using keybindings with
several steps.


> To illustrate: do we really want to consider the following a suitable
> user experience for new users?  Once they type more than 5 keys per
> second, CUA behavior will get replaced by native Emacs behavior?  That
> sort of cleverness is not predictable to a new user.


This is an excellent example of Kim's creativity to work around the
resistance to adopt CUA bindings in Emacs. Of course this work around
is not needed any more of CUA would be made a first class citizen in
Emacs.

It actually does not get in the way that often, but it is still
disturbing. I think Kim was aware of this because he gave another way
to work around the problem with C-c and C-x in Emacs: You can add a
shift to those keys if you want to old Emacs behavior: C-S-c and
C-S-x. (I always use this variant when it is necessary.)


> This is supposed to be an editor, not an arcade game.  And no, I don't
> think that this sort of user interface problem can be solved by
> discussing the dexterity to be expected from a new user.


Sure, it is not supposed to be an ancient arcade game, especially not
for new users.