Re: position on changing defaults?

[Richard Stallman]

    I don't see _any_ change in Emacs' region mechanism.

    I _do_ see a major _supplement_ in Emacs' rectangle mechanism.

Maybe that is a clearer way of putting it.  But...

         C-w to kill region or rectangle depending on what is marked,
         C-y to yank a rectangle if the last kill was a rectangle, etc.

I would call that a change in the region mechanism.

Anyway, it seems we agree on the conclusion: we should judge
each of these features separately.