RE: delete-selection-mode as default (WAS: Some developement questions)

[Drew Adams]

> *Personally* I dislike `delete-selection-mode'; but FWIW I also
> don't have a big issue with disabling it in my init file -- at
> the end of the day it's an easy change to make to get back to
> the behaviour I prefer.
> 
> I can't imagine that many users who use the current default
> behaviour would continue to use the default if the default were
> *changed*; so either way a sub-set of users will always be forced
> to set `delete-selection-mode' in their init files -- which means
> it's a question of whether we're more interested in minimising
> friction for existing users who still prefer the current default,
> or for new users who are probably used to the behaviour of other
> text-editors.

Exactly the same reasoning was presented in arguments against
turning on `transient-mark-mode' by default. That change took
decades. I expect that turning on `delete-selection-mode' by
default (in effect, the other half of the same general change)
will also take decades. I'm convinced it will happen, but perhaps
after some of us are long gone. ;-)