Re: Scratch buffer annoyance

[Alfred M. Szmidt]

   >    > This will make Emacs even more difficult to use for new or
   >    > occasional users. They would need to know a key combination
   >    > just to get started.  And it would be much more annoying
   >    > than the current situation.
   >
   >    Then all users that like the scratch buffer as it is right now
   >    would need to `C-x C-q' on startup. And what if you don't want
   >    the splash-screen at all?
   >
   > The splash screen can always be disabled using
   > inhibit-splash-screen.

   Yes, I know that. But how would I get a *scratch* buffer if I've
   set inhibit-splash-screen to t? Then I cannot read the "Type C-x
   C-q to get a scratch buffer" message.

That message could be in the scratch buffer, just like for the
splash-screen.  Infact, inhibit-splash-screen would become unnecessary
with this scheme, the splash-screen would be *scratch*.  One could
then have a inhibit-read-only-splash-screen variable that people could
flip to get what is the current behaviour.  

   Well, of course I can add the command C-x C-q is bound to in the splash
   screen to my ~/.emacs, but I like the fact that *scratch* is there by
   default. Else a new user possibly won't find out how useful it is.

New users have even less possibility to learn about emacs when the
splash-screen vanishes as soon as you do anything.  Making *scratch*
equivialent to the splash-screen, would be a good way to solve this,
and since it is read-only, those who by accident wish to use *scratch*
for non-scartch data would get beeps.