Re: Honoring traditional defaults - how to do it. [was: Transient Mark Mode on bydefault]

[Lennart Borgman (gmail)]

Alan Mackenzie wrote:

> I've been thinking; what are the requirements here?  I think they're:
> (i) It must be _easy_ for a newbie to start an Emacs in "lazy" mode
>   (i.e., with the UI stuff from lesser applications enabled).

Yes.

> (ii) The said newby must be made aware that she's started a "dumbed down"
>   version of Emacs, and encouraged to switch a standard setup.

Yes.

> (iii) The most standard way of starting emacs (i.e., the command "emacs")
>   must start the standard setup.

No.

> I think all these things can be achieved with a simple alias:
>
>     % alias emacs_easy='emacs --load /path/to/lisp/emacs-easy.el'

     % alias emacs_uneasy='emacs --load /path/to/lisp/emacs-uneasy.el'

>    "You are running an Emacs configuration designed to be easy to
>     _learn_.  When you have become somewhat proficient in its use, you
>     may wish to switch to a standard Emacs setup, which is optimised for
>     ease of _use_ rather than ease of learning."

"You are running an Emacs configuration designed to be easy to _learn_. 
If you think you are smart enough and want to become a real Emacs user 
then you can switch to an Emacs hero setup which is optimized for those 
who are able to learn it."

Other than that I think the idea is good, but I would prefer Stephens 
way to actually do it.