Re: New year - Out with the old!

[Jean Louis]

* novim <laszlomail@protonmail.com> [2020-12-23 17:40]:
> As for the keybindings emacs should have selectable keyboard configs
> similar to other software, just like other tools have vim, emacs,
> etc. key emulations. These configs should be selectable right from
> the startup screen for a new user, so he can switch to familiar keys
> with a simple click. Familiar keys include copy/paste and other keys
> standard on the platform (e.g. on windows C-c, C-v).

Emacs already has CUA keys selectable in the Options menu, from start
and all the time.

If you mean vim has it, I do not see anything selectable right from
startup. On GNU/Linux there are many editors and many do not support
thoe CUA keys. Some simpler editors do. Any editor with history may
have rather its own keys. Not even on Windows all editors especially
older ones, do not support it. And I use computers since long time
really back to 1986 and since then I actually used rarel CUA keys on
windows as even on Windows I used different specific editors in DOS
mode as I considered such superior.

In general myself I never even expected that CUA keys must be
everywhere and I use it in browser on GNU/Linux. Nowhere else.

That is also one user experience.

> Of course, the documentation uses the default keys when descripting
> commands, but I can imagine a mode which replaces the displayed keys
> in the documentation automatically with overlays if an other key
> config is selected.

Aha that is good idea. Documentation could be dynamically
self-documenting. But in general it is from one side viewed. As if
user press C-h C-v when CUA mode is not enabled it says scroll up and
if user enables CUA keys C-h C-v says it is (cua-paste) function. From
that view point it is dynamically self documenting the keys at least.

> All of the above is for the case the goal is to get more users for
> emacs. If the goal is to have it as a powerful tool which rewards
> only those who are willing to spend a significant time on it then
> things are good as they are.

Bindings and features are alright as from features' side.

In my opinion, and based on the review of various statistics, there
are probably 5-10 millions of Emacs users already. According to my
latest analysis Emacs usage is growing, this year was a lot of new
popularity growth for Emacs. Many things are attracting people.

What is more important is free software promotion. Users should be
coming in general to GNU/Linux as it is free software. Emacs is free
software editor. That is how I have discovered it, by first finding
free software operating system, then finding Emacs and other editors
and software altogether.