Re: RTFM Was: M-x goto-line binding

[thi]

jari.aalto@poboxes.com (Jari Aalto+mail.emacs) writes:

>     The buffer "*scratch*" and "lisp interaction mode" scares hell out
>     of all of my students and it's diffucult to explain to anybody why
>     it should be lisp they see first.

it's easier to explain why things are than why things "should be".  if
you tell them emacs is like it is because the developers expressed their
preference in that way, you can easily segue from their question --
namely, "(i don't care about the emacs developers) how do i express MY
preference?" -- into futzing w/ ~/.emacs and doing other customizations.

if they bitch and demand a silver spoon, throw a plastic one at them and
call them fools for squandering their freedoms.  perhaps they will then
transfer their fear of the unknown into fear of conformity, which is a
key component of empowerment and thus self-directed learning.  the whole
point of this pseudo-lunacy is to make your job easier, you understand.
ymmv.

thi