From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Carsten Dominik Subject: Re: POLL: the 40 variables project Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:02:12 +0100 Message-ID: <657C3FFD-1CAC-4BA8-A617-9AA79F8D84D0@uva.nl> References: <20090129111316.GA32494@taupan.ath.cx> Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v930.3) Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Return-path: Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1LSWXC-0007XY-IS for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Thu, 29 Jan 2009 08:02:18 -0500 Received: from exim by lists.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1LSWXB-0007WV-Um for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Thu, 29 Jan 2009 08:02:18 -0500 Received: from [199.232.76.173] (port=41647 helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1LSWXB-0007WG-N6 for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Thu, 29 Jan 2009 08:02:17 -0500 Received: from ug-out-1314.google.com ([66.249.92.172]:61114) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.60) (envelope-from ) id 1LSWXB-0002V2-0Q for emacs-orgmode@gnu.org; Thu, 29 Jan 2009 08:02:17 -0500 Received: by ug-out-1314.google.com with SMTP id 36so586998uga.17 for ; Thu, 29 Jan 2009 05:02:15 -0800 (PST) In-Reply-To: <20090129111316.GA32494@taupan.ath.cx> List-Id: "General discussions about Org-mode." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Sender: emacs-orgmode-bounces+geo-emacs-orgmode=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Errors-To: emacs-orgmode-bounces+geo-emacs-orgmode=m.gmane.org@gnu.org To: friedel@nomaden.org Cc: Emacs-orgmode mailing list Hi Friedrich, On Jan 29, 2009, at 12:13 PM, Friedrich Delgado Friedrichs wrote: > Hiho! [...] >> and got 378 as an answer. 378 user-customizable variables, >> no kidding. > > You make this sound as if it was a bad thing... ;) Not at all. I am just surprized that it sooo many. >> In addition, I could make a special customization group which only >> contains those variables (Emacs allows to put a variable into several >> groups). It would be awesome to have, and a much easier start into >> customizing Org. > > Phew! For a second I thought you would jump on the 'gnome' train of > thought that "too much configuration is bad, mmkay?" I feared that > you'd intend to get rid of those customisation variables. Nononono, de-scoping was last years April Fools Joke, and it is not April just yet. :-) > I'd hate to see that happen to any software project. > > I don't care what any usability experts say (self-proclaimed or not), > I want to be able to change those settings. I tend to heavily > customise just about every software that I use. I also like a lot of customizability, but providing a ladder for new users is a nice thing to do. > However organising the most-often used variables seems like a good > idea. It might also make a lot of sense to identify the values that > people most often use to arrive at a more sensible set of defaults. Yes. There are some "buts" to the question of defaults, and majority use cannot always be a reason. When I decide about a default setting, I use what I think is best, but subject to the condition that the default behavior should be intuitive and easy to grasp, not too magic, not too different from standard Emacs behavior. Still, there may be cases where another setting meets all these criteria, and I would like to find out about them. Thanks for your detailed list! I hope we will get lots more, this exercise makes most sense if lots of people reply.... - Carsten