Re: A proposal for a friendlier Emacs

[Jean Louis]

* Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> [2020-09-22 18:35]:
> > Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2020 14:52:07 +0000
> > CC: rms@gnu.org, nicola.manca85@gmail.com, emacs-devel@gnu.org
> > From: Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support>
> > 
> > Which software specifically you installed with such assistants?
> 
> Almost every application you install on a smartphone does that.

Those on smartphone are not comparable directly to Emacs as text
editor, and I use free software applications on smart phone and here
is the summary:

- none text editor that I use on smart phones have any configuration
  needs, I hope you don't mean permission configurations. I am using
  Editor from F-Droid, then Markor, µnote

- applications that require network username and password setups, such
  as K-9 for email or Conversations for XMPP chat are offering such
  configuration walk throughs, that is understandable. Same type of
  assistive features could be implemented in Emacs to make it
  friendlier.

- none application that functions without configuration is offering me
  configuration wizards.

Emacs works without configuration.

Thus does not need any configuration wizard.

There is no need for any username, password, hostname, web server
name, or similar, there is no need for any configuration that software
works. And that complicates life for those real users using Emacs
without .emacs.

I understand you think you are making it friendlier, and I endorse
that notion, I just think that assistance like that shall be packages
or functions inside of Emacs and not forced onto users, especially not
for reasons of not having .emacs file, and for reason to wrongly
assume that non-.emacs-ers are beginners.

Please also think on real users who don't use .emacs on multiple
computers, as I am real user who need Emacs without .emacs or wizards,
not just unnamed beginner, and I am promoting Emacs to new users too.

Those beginners in need of a wizard, did not make the notion they need
it. Few real users including me expressed that it is not necessary at
first launch.

Another thoughts, what is supposed to be done after the configuration
wizard have assumed that user is beginner because there is no .emacs
file and user pressed a key to choose one of the wizard options?

Is the wizard then, after asking the user about configuration,
supposed to make the .emacs file? As that way, the wizard is to
wizardry stop assuming that user is beginner, because wizard created
now the .emacs after user pressed a key to choose one of options, so
wizard wizardry made a user advanced user... :-) truly magic how it
works.