Re: Making Emacs more friendly to newcomers

[Po Lu]

Eduardo Ochs <address@hidden> writes:

> There are several different ways of making Emacs more friendly for
> newcomers, and we should take a look at all these different ways and
> try to connect them somehow.
>
> I gave a presentation about my way at the last EmacsConf. It's here:
>
>   http://angg.twu.net/emacsconf2019.html
>
> and I mentioned briefly in the presentation - in slides 11-13 - how
> I've been using it to teach Emacs to lots of beginners. To make a long
> story very short:
>
>   0) install Emacs and eev in their machines,
>
>   1) teach them the basics of Lisp _IN THE FIRST FIVE MINUTES_,
>
>   2) show them how to navigate using the keys M-e, M-j, and M-k,
>      and the menu bar and the tool bar.
>
> From the docs:
>
>   M-e   - to follow a hyperlink.  Mnemonic: "(e)valuate"/"(e)xecute".
>
>   M-j   - to jump to certain predefined places. In particular, M-j
>           without a numeric argument takes you to a buffer with basic
>           help and a list of jump targets. See:
>
>           http://angg.twu.net/eev-intros/find-eev-quick-intro.html#7.2
>
>   M-k   - to go back.  Mnemonic: "(k)ill buffer".
>
>
> Cheers,
>   Eduardo Ochs
>   http://angg.twu.net/#eev
>   http://angg.twu.net/emacsconf2019.html
>
>

Your perspective is interesting.  However, I think new users should be
allowed to slowly adapt to the Emacs way, while being able to utilize their
existing workflow and habits, instead of being fed a new set of habits
and workflows in the first 5 minutes.