Re: "Why is emacs so square?"

[Eli Zaretskii]

> Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2020 06:52:03 +0000
> From: ndame <address@hidden>
> Cc: Ahmed Khanzada <address@hidden>, Stefan Kangas <address@hidden>,
>  Joseph Garvin <address@hidden>, Richard Stallman <address@hidden>,
>  Emacs developers <address@hidden>, Eli Zaretskii <address@hidden>,
>  Drew Adams <address@hidden>
> 
> For example, the current tutorial may not be the best
> approach. Explaining about cursor movement with C-f and C-b? Windows
> and frames?
> 
> Why a new user who casually wants to try emacs has to start with this?
> 
> A new user can use the cursor keys and the mouse to operate the
> menus. Rather than focusing on strange keys for cursor movement a
> better approach could be explaining what emacs does better than other
> tools and how to use those features.

When did you last look at the tutorial that comes with Emacs?  We
mention the cursor keys there since Emacs 22.1.  We mention
PageUp/PageDown since Emacs 23.1.

> And users could be informed on the startup screen that they can learn
> traditional emacs keys in a separate tutorial if they are interested.

We think using C-f/C-b etc. keys will help users type more
efficiently, and we say so in the tutorial, _after_ saying that the
"normal" cursor motion keys also work.  I see nothing wrong with that.