why cannot set cursor-type with setq but only with setq-default??????

[Christian Seberino]

setq-default is used to set cursor to be a bar rather than a box...

(setq-default cursor-type    'bar)

How come (setq cursor-type    'bar) doesn't work????

I know setq-default is more far-reaching than setq
but setq should work too right???

BTW I set default major mode to be text mode.  I don't
know if that has something to do with it..

(setq default-major-mode 'text-mode)

Thanks,

chris