Re: Defaults for noobs, dotfiles for vets [legibility 1/6]

[Adam Porter <adam@alphapapa.net>]

Texas Cyberthal <texas.cyberthal@gmail.com> writes:

> Beginners spend a while learning to use Emacs as a simple text editor
> before they're able to do anything more advanced. Their ability to
> intelligently customize is minimal. Meanwhile experts have automated
> dotfile deployment, so defaults are almost irrelevant to them.
> Therefore defaults should be set for inexperienced users.

Defaults are relevant for all users, because if you change the default
of a setting that an "experienced user" uses the default for, he will
have to change that setting in his config.  New users come to Emacs/Org
a few at a time; changing the defaults would affect all existing users
at once.  Therefore changing the defaults should be very carefully
considered, and they should not reflect one user's beliefs about what
best suits other users.

> Inexperienced users will mostly use Org for longform prose, since they
> haven't learned its database functions yet. Since Org aspires to be a
> personal info manager, it should prioritize prose presentation above
> code conventions.

Org is not intended more for prose writing than for other uses.  We
should not prioritize one such use above others.

> Concerns about terminal impact appear to be moot, since terminal
> ignores most font settings.

Terminals can display colors, underlines, italics, and bold text, and
terminal appearance should not be ignored or de-prioritized.