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Re: "like other editors" [
From: |
Rasmus |
Subject: |
Re: "like other editors" [ |
Date: |
Mon, 03 Oct 2011 20:27:44 +0100 |
User-agent: |
Gnus/5.13 (Gnus v5.13) Emacs/24.0.90 (gnu/linux) |
Ian Zimmerman <itz@buug.org> writes:
> With Emacs, this may be true (I sure hope it is, because I sense the
> proposal with go through). But in general, when a package or program
> decides to "embrace" we hard core users face a sad choice: retrain our
> fingers to the Windows way (and yes, that _is_ what it is, if you trace
> it to the source), or "customise back" and give up any new features,
> because they are usually not compatible with the old interface. It
> happens again and again, and I'm sick of it.
But in general Emacs exhibit a degree of conservatism. The hard part is
choosing the optimal degree of conservatism. With Emacs I don't see
development in branches; but the general concern is valid.
> Emacs has been sort of like last bastion, and if it falls I give up
> computing as a passion and approach it strictly for the money.
> Seriously.
There are also imitators of Emacs. For example I belive one can choose
Emacs bindings in GTK applications. Abiword supports Emacs bindings for
sure. For Firefox the keysnail extension is absolutely wonderful.
Emacs works.
> Richard> Always try to remember the hassles you had when embracing
> Richard> emacs. Only then can you judge more dispassionately.
>
> I do remember that time (around 1995). I came from Windows too, and the
> initial difficulties were totally worth it.
I am sure everyone on this list agrees. Complex software such as Emacs
is hard. Should we `dumb it down' to make it more accessible? I do not
think so, but choosing sane defaults is surely important. (I think
deleting a highlighted region by default is sane).
> Emacs is different because it is first and foremost a programmer's
> editor.
> [...]
> People who normally edit general text and only occassionally drop into
> highly structured text or code are better served by a simpler editor,
> IMO.
I disagree. Generally Emacs is a lisp machine. This enables it to be
used for all kinds of general solutions. For you programming is the
specific solution that you value the most. For me, I value being able
to edit plain text in a coherent environment, whether this plain text is
to be understood as `email', `org', `tex' or whatever. Second, I value
the possibility of integrating other process into my lisp machine,
specifically software such as R and Python. In this sense it also
becomes a programer's tool for me, but the objective is not
programming. Emacs is a specific solution to programming for some
people, but programming is not Emacs.
–Rasmus
--
Sent from my Emacs
- Re: "like other editors" [was: Re: Poll about proposed change in DEL (aka Backspace) and Delete], (continued)
- Re: "like other editors" [was: Re: Poll about proposed change in DEL (aka Backspace) and Delete], Suvayu Ali, 2011/10/03
- Re: "like other editors" [was: Re: Poll about proposed change in DEL (aka Backspace) and Delete], ken, 2011/10/03
- Re: "like other editors" [, Richard Riley, 2011/10/03
- Re: "like other editors" [, ken, 2011/10/03
- Re: "like other editors" [was: Re: Poll about proposed change in DEL (aka Backspace) and Delete], Andreas Röhler, 2011/10/03
- Re: "like other editors" [, Richard Riley, 2011/10/03
- Re: "like other editors" [, Richard Riley, 2011/10/03
- Re: "like other editors" [, Ian Zimmerman, 2011/10/03
- Re: "like other editors" [,
Rasmus <=
- Re: "like other editors" [, ken, 2011/10/03
- Re: "like other editors" [was: Re: Poll about proposed change in DEL (aka Backspace) and Delete], Richard Stallman, 2011/10/03
- Re: "like other editors" [was: Re: Poll about proposed change in DEL (aka Backspace) and Delete], Jeremiah Dodds, 2011/10/04
- Re: "like other editors" [was: Re: Poll about proposed change in DEL (aka Backspace) and Delete], ken, 2011/10/04
- Re: "like other editors" [was: Re: Poll about proposed change in DEL (aka Backspace) and Delete], S Boucher, 2011/10/04
- Re: "like other editors" [was: Re: Poll about proposed change in DEL (aka Backspace) and Delete], ken, 2011/10/04
- Re: "like other editors" [was: Re: Poll about proposed change in DEL (aka Backspace) and Delete], Jeremiah Dodds, 2011/10/04
- Re: "like other editors" [was: Re: Poll about proposed change in DEL (aka Backspace) and Delete], ken, 2011/10/04
- Re: "like other editors" [was: Re: Poll about proposed change in DEL (aka Backspace) and Delete], Jeremiah Dodds, 2011/10/04
- Re: "like other editors" [was: Re: Poll about proposed change in DEL (aka Backspace) and Delete], ken, 2011/10/04