Re: Gather a list of confusions beginner tend to have

[Göktuğ Kayaalp]

On 2020-09-09 05:01 +03, Nick Savage <nick@nicksavage.ca> wrote:
> Göktuğ Kayaalp <self@gkayaalp.com> writes:
> I'll admit I'm atypical and I wouldn't expect the average humanities
> student or professor to be using Emacs, no matter what, but I think
> Emacs has a lot of value for people outside programming, especially with 
> org-mode.

I’ve (almost) never programmed professionally either. Currently doing an
MA in linguistics.

Emacs indeed has much value outside programming; potentially much more
value for me and probably you too.

But using Emacs without _any_ programming knowledge, or at any interest
in learning even the tiniest bit to manage an init.el is, IMHO, kind of
a dead end.  Because sooner or later you’ll need it.  And it’s very
easy, but sadly there’s a shortage of resources that make programming
what it is---a rudimentary task, yet another UI to your computer---and
teach it as such.

I’m kinda getting lost in my sentences.  What I want to say is, Emacs is
not all that useful if you don’t want to do _any_ programming, including
your init.el, which when you use, is programming.  There are quite solid
alternatives to Org mode that require no programming knowledge.  There’s
Notion, there’s Roam Research (albeit I’d rather not touch it), but also
a couple very capable open source outliners.  Chances are, a user that’s
completely disinterested in programming may make more use of these
software.  Similarly for LaTeX.

--
İ. Göktuğ Kayaalp / @cadadr / <https://www.gkayaalp.com/>
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