Re: Emacs learning curve

[Lennart Borgman]

On Sun, Jul 11, 2010 at 10:33 AM, Alfred M. Szmidt <address@hidden> wrote:
>   > I doubt that words like yank, kill, point, etc hinder new users
>   > from using emacs.  The argument seems extremly weak.
>
>   Please try to be more specific. Exactly what argument is it you
>   think of? Exactly why do you think it is weak?
>
> I find it weak since it side tracks the real issue, namley how to use
> emacs more efficiently when you are a new user.

Thanks. I see what you mean. There are different opinions on this. My
view is that raising complexity makes it much, much harder to learn.
This is not a linear growth. Talking about working memory could
perhaps make it easy to understand for many people here. Our working
memory is very limited. (Much can be said about this, but I do not
know if it is confusing here. For example one thing to say is that
frustration may use part of it more constantly.)

> What words you use
> won't hinder that.  You will always encounter new definitions for
> words, if one goes about renaming everything to what is currently
> popular it will only cause mass confusion.

The words matter since it raises complexity to use unfamiliar words.