Re: [Orgmode] Re: Support (or not) for Emacs 21, and XEmacs

[Carsten Dominik]

On Apr 17, 2010, at 5:39 PM, Michael Sperber wrote:

> Carsten Dominik <address@hidden> writes:
>
> > If you object to such a development, please step into this
> > discussion.
>
> I do - I'm an avoid org-mode user, an XEmacs maintainer.  and I'd be
> happy to help support XEmacs, if that would help change your mind.

Hi Michael,

how nice to get a reaction after all (you are the first).

First let me say that I have been a big XEmacs user for many
years.  One of my bigger packages (IDLWAVE) was mostly developed
under XEmacs.  I did start using XEmacs at a time when it was
clearly the better System.

However, I have recently more and more the feeling how having to
cater for several Emacs versions is a drag.  The time I can
devote to this project (Org-mode) is becoming less, not more.
And I have to keep up with a system that generates 40 mailing
list mails a day, and not infrequently 10 commits on a single day.
I need to streamline, not to waste time.  My impression is that
Emacs right now has so much more momentum, and keeping the
compatibility code seems unnecessary.  I have written and
maintained compatible code for all my packages over 2 decades.
but I am not sure it makes sense anymore.

My feeling was also that the interest in the XEmacs side for
Org-mode is low.  To my knowledge there is no Org-mode package for
XEmacs, and the number of user on the mailing list seems to be very
limited.

So let me start with a question:  Is XEmacs still alive, innovative?
There has been no major release (it seems to me) for a very long time.
It was my feeling that the XEmacs project is on its way to a slow death.
I may be wrong about this.

You propose to help.  One way to go would be to continue a branch
based on Org-mode 6.35, and to merge any new stuff into that branch.
So a dedicated XEmacs-related person could keep such an XEmacs.
In my test branch where I remove compatibility code (not only
XEmacs, but also Emacs 21, and I'd love to ditch support for
Emacs 22 - even though I cannot do that just yet), quite some code
has changed, and I am not sure how easy it would be to keep
a compatibility branch up to date.

I am interested in a discussion, but I am not sure where it will lead.

- Carsten

> --
> Cheers =8-} Mike
> Friede, Völkerverständigung und überhaupt blabla
>
>
>
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- Carsten