Re: section continuation

[abq]

Another idea:

Your example was:

  * General animals
    Some text about general animals

  ** arthropods
     spiders and things

  * -
    More about animals in general

  ** vertebrates
     so-and-so


But to express your intended meaning, how about this instead:

  * General animals
    Some text about general animals

  ** arthropods
     spiders and things

  ** -
    More about animals in general

  ** vertebrates
     so-and-so


Note the extra asterisk before the dash.

The benefits:
Even current org-mode software handles 
fold/select/delete/move/promote/demote/etc, including continuations 
(lone-dash sections), as intended.
No interference with section numbering at the level of the continued 
section.

The costs:
For current software, this interferes with section numbering at the 
subsection level, since continuations count as subsections.
Commands to jump to next/previous section will include continuations.
Folding subsections will fold continuations.

IMO, the benefits outweigh the costs, because the benefits prevent 
problems with editing when using current software, and the costs only 
cause problems with viewing and navigation.

Future versions of Org could:
Skip numbering of lone-dash sections.
Skip folding them when folding subsections.
Skip them when jumping to next/previous section.
Display them at one level shallower than currently standard in 
org-indent-mode, and maybe omit display of the lone-dash line itself.


BTW, this would be another reason to use a character other than dash, 
because you already use dash for an incompatible meaning.