Re: Survey: changing a few default settings for Org 9.4

[Detlef Steuer]

Am Wed, 19 Feb 2020 09:41:21 -0600
schrieb Matthew Lundin <address@hidden>:

> Bastien <address@hidden> writes:
> 
> > - org-fontify-done-headline => t
> >
> >   This is useful to visualize done headlines and can be easily
> > turned off, while not being easily discovered for Org newcomers.  
> 
> I find this a bit visually distracting, but that's likely because I've
> used Org mode in the "old school" way for so long. So no strong
> opinions on this one.

Same here. No strong opinion.

> 
> > - org-hide-emphasis-markers => t
> > - org-hide-macro-markers => t
> >
> >   The two changes proposed above will probably trigger some
> > reactions as they touch something very sensitive: whether Org
> > should try to be "too clever" at making things invisible.  I am all
> > for letting Org newcomers enjoying these visual enhancements, while
> > letting experts turning them off if needed.  
> 
> I have a few concerns about this. I believe that markup syntax, as a
> rule, should be visible. Most markdown editors do not hide markup by
> default. I realize that there are some exceptions in Org (e.g.,
> links). But editing around the invisible boundaries of links can be
> in Org can be fussy (sometimes I have to do M-x visible-mode when
> editing near the edges of links). So I'd recommend not changing the
> default here, especially for emphasis markers.
>

I really dislike invisible markup as default. Org is a markup "language",
not a word-processor. Even links feel more consistent when visible.

So fully agree with Matt again.


> > - org-allow-promoting-top-level-subtree => t
> >
> >   With the current default of nil, an error is thrown when the user
> >   tries to promote a top level subtree.  The new default setting
> > would let users convert the top level heading to a commented
> > heading.  
> 
> From my point of view, this is too destructive a default. I think it
> makes it too easy accidentally to turn important TODO headlines into
> commented lines (which will be buried in another entry). If I wanted
> to change a first level headline to a comment, it would only take two
> keystrokes (C-d #). Forcing users to type this explicitly seems
> preferable to creating a risk that users will accidentally bury/lose
> first-level headlines as comments in another entry.


And again a simple +1.

Detlef

> 
> Matt
>