Re: Interactive guide for new users

[Eduardo Mercovich]

Hello Eli.

[...]

> The interactive guide is supposed to offer non-default options that
> make Emacs UI more similar to what newcomers might expect.  It wasn't
> supposed to offer loading large packages such as those which you name,
> certainly not packages that are not bundled with Emacs.

Certainly. That's why this is a rough draft of a vision.

If we agreed on the general vision it's perfectly possible to do as the
1st step (MVP in some modern parlance) only the "General editor
preferences" or the "Org-mode preferences". And even there, just a few
of them. 

> But yes, deciding which options to offer and how to arrange them is
> the hard part of this job.

The idea proposed here is:
1. distributions first, because they define the lot for themselves. If
any of them is chose, the wizard almost ends there.

2. General editor preferences (what was discussed previously in the
list). While we can define defaults, giving the options with clear
impact description allows the User to choose (or jump the decision and
leave the default). It makes much less sense to try to define the same
defaults for everyone, old wises and newbies alike. 

3. At last very last, other non-editing emacs big applications, like
mail and such. 

I totally agree that big modules (if they ever are included) should go
after general editor and/or org-mode preferences. Or, at least, should
be developed/scripted (included in the wizard) not as first stage. Emacs
comes first for the User benefit. b^.^d 

Another option, is not to select and install, but just to cite a few
things that we know people use, are powerful and can make a huge
difference, like magit, in the end.

This is proposed because many people doesn't even know they exist, and
just seeing the potential the whole integrated emacs ecosystem has,
gives much more impetus to make the effort to dive into Emacs. 

Best...

--
eduardo mercovich

Donde se cruzan tus talentos 
con las necesidades del mundo, 
ahí está tu vocación. 
(Anónimo)