RE: How to make Emacs popular again.

[Gregory Heytings]

> I see it generally.  What do you see when you use `C-h f defcustom' or 
> `C-h v print-circle? Don't you see links for each of the quoted (`...') 
> functions and vars?

Yes, but not for the most important one: the function/variable/face... 
being described, defcustom or print-circle in your examples.

> > Wouldn't a "See also chapter N ZZZZ in the Emacs manual." and/or "For 
> > programmers, see also chapter N ZZZZ in the Emacs Lisp manual." (with 
> > hyperlinks) at the end of ordinary help buffers be much more useful?
>
> For which symbols?  Are you going to add such a see-also for each quoted 
> name in a `*Help*' buffer?

No, only for the main symbol, the symbol whose docstring is being 
displayed in the help buffer.  At least that was the meaning of the 
proposal I sent a few hours ago: to add one (or more) link(s) at the end 
of the docstring pointing to the chapter(s) of the manual(s) in which they 
are documented.

> I've long said that we need that for the thing that is the subject of 
> the `*Help*' buffer.

Then I agree with you :-)

> And we do have it for some `*Help*' buffers - e.g., `C-h f defcustom'.

Thank you, this is an excellent example, it is exactly what I meant: a 
link to the chapter of the manual.

> Inline (i.e., in-context) links are better, in general, than a pile of 
> see-also's at the end of the buffer.

Not a pile, one or two.  The point is to make manuals more accessible.