On Tue, Jun 29, 2010 at 11:03 PM, Eric Schulte <schulte.eric@gmail.com>wrote:

> >   - Org-babel adds rather specific and complex functionality to org-mode
> >     that those who use it as a simple outliner and todo manager do not
> >     require. (In other words, an option to turn it off might be nice for
> >     those who are worried about "feature creep.")
> >
>
> I'm less struck by this point, as there are many features of Org-mode
> which I personally don't understand or use and I'm certainly some
> features the existence of which I am completely unaware.  However as
> long as Babel doesn't significantly affect load time, I'd rather it be
> present in the background, to simplify it's use.
>

And there's a significant advantage to having it included and 'on':
ubiquity.  An  org user doesn't have to have set anything up to load up
Eric's babel-ized version of the emacs starter kit and start playing with it
in babel.  [http://github.com/eschulte/emacs-starter-kit]

It's the same advantage that org-mode gains by being part of Emacs.  We can
say:  "Want to try org-mode?  just do 'M-x org-mode'  Now make some
headlines with CTRL-RET and...."  Org babel is good, useful and stable
enough that it deserves the same boost.

Having said that, I'm all for Carsten's new code execution key binding.  Org
advertises C-c C-c as a friendly key which mostly 'does the right thing' on
the current block.  I could imagine that unwary newish users might not
realize that in this case 'the right thing' is to execute that code.
Paranoia does seem a good default practice in this case.

Scot