[h-e-w] Defaulting auto-revert mode

[Pete Klammer]

I would like every new file buffer to open in auto-revert mode; I don't
think that's the same as setting Global Auto-Revert mode, is it?  No; in
Global Auto-Revert mode I don't have per-buffer control anymore.

So I tried this in my _emacs file:
        (setq-default auto-revert-mode 1)
... But that doesn't work: "Arev" is not showing in the mode line, and
buffers are not reverting.  But now if I M-x auto-revert-mode in a
buffer, the first time (per buffer, in each buffer) it responds
"Auto-Revert Mode is now off" with a bonus useless side effect: "Arev"
appears on all other mode lines (but they're not auto-reverting either,
I checked).  The second time I M-x auto-revert mode, the "Arev"
reappears, and now this buffer is finally auto-reverting (but the others
still are not).  How perverse: by putting that line in my _emacs file, I
now can get into auto-revert mode only by M-x'ing each buffer *twice*!
("Well then, stop doing that!" -- Groucho Marx).

What's the right way to do this?

--
Peter F. Klammer, P.E.
NETRONICS Professional Engineering, Inc.
3200 Routt Street
Wheat Ridge, Colorado 80033-5452
  (303)915-2673 (Wireless w/voicemail)
  (303)274-6182 (Wired w/voicemail and FAX) address@hidden
(preferred e-mail) "Net:Working Programmable Electronics!"