Re: Emacs learning curve

[Tom]

Miles Bader <miles <at> gnu.org> writes:

> 
> Tom <levelhalom <at> gmail.com> writes:
> > That's why CUA-style editing should be made the consistent default, so 
> > Emacs 
> > works like all other modern application on KDE/Gnome/Windows, etc. and the
> > current behavior should be provided as a compatibility mode for those who
> > are accustomed to the old behavior.
> 
> Isn't going to happen.
> 

Obviously not. And that's why Emacs won't be able attractive to
most new users, because more popular IDEs offer features which
people nowadays consider basic (excellent refactoring support,
etc.) and implementing these features requires significant
development and testing resources which Emacs doesn't have.

By keeping Emacs decidely different from other, more popular UIs
you keep most of new users out and consequently competent
contributors as well.

I guess it will be the job of a new generation of Emacs
developers (who are not so attached to doing things the old way)
to take Emacs to the next level, that is making the UI more
conformant to modern standards while retaining the features which
make Emacs so powerful (not the keybindings).