RE: [External] : Re: not good proposal: "C-z <letter>" reserved for users

[Drew Adams]

[Removed bugs@gnu.support from cc list.
Why was it included?]

> Here are my opinions on these things.
> 
> * Moratorium on New Emacs Keybindings.
> 
> At present there's lot of work going on outside of core Emacs.  I think
> it makes sense for core Emacs not to use too many keybindings.  I can
> see the sense the argument Drew Adams makes.
> 
> If a *general* moratorium isn't possible, then how about a more
> specific one?  How about applying it only to certain keymaps
> or prefix keys.

We shouldn't assume from the get-go that a more
general hands-off isn't possible.

(I know you said "if".  But Emacs devel _can_
sometimes be moved by what its users say they want.)

> * A Prefix-Key for Global Third-Party Packages.
> 
> I think this is a good idea too.  Picking the
> right key is a problem.

1. Limiting to one key is, well, unnecessary,
   premature limiting.

2. It's not a great idea to couple (1) this
   suggestion of reserving a single key with
   (2) a proposal to repurpose a key that's
   already bound.

#2 just complicates things.  The entire thread
on emacs-devel has been somewhat hijacked now,
and turned into discussions about particular
keys that might be changed, with people chiming
in about not wanting some key they use to be lost.

It's far smarter to reserve keys that do NOT
already have default bindings.  There are a few
such, still free.  We should keep them free (no
default bindings), reserving them for 3rd-party
code (and of course for users - users can ALWAYS
change any keys for themselves).
 
> ** Which Key to Use?

See previous.  Don't start by proposing to change
any keys already bound by default.  Start by
getting Emacs dev to reserve some that are NOT
already bound.

Skip, at least to start out with, all the
back-&-forth about this or that key that X thinks
is useless and Y thinks is essential and uses all
day long every day.

Don't mix up the need to save free keys with the
possibility that some keys already bound could
be put to better use.