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Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.misc,comp.os.linux.networking,comp.os.linux.setup,comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc,comp.unix.bsd.misc,comp.os.ms-windows.nt.advocacy,comp.os.os2.advocacy Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.carno.net.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!munnari.OZ.AU!news.ecn.uoknor.edu!feed1.news.erols.com!insync!eit.com!news.sprintlink.net!news-chi-13.sprintlink.net!news.rain.net!PolarNet!polarnet.com!floyd From: floyd@polarnet.com (Floyd Davidson) Subject: Re: Betting on Unix Message-ID: <327cd$143438.37c@PolarNet> Date: Mon, 03 Mar 1997 05:52:56 GMT References: <5d3sr2$44n@nntp1.best.com> <330a1d23.2419719@172.15.0.208> <5ef5c8$rgs@arktur.rz.uni-ulm.de> <5f6fhq$el0@faculty.ed.umuc.edu> Reply-To: floyd@polarnet.com Organization: __________ Lines: 32 Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.os.linux.misc:162266 comp.os.linux.networking:70579 comp.os.linux.setup:100539 comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc:6169 comp.unix.bsd.misc:2690 comp.os.ms-windows.nt.advocacy:55353 comp.os.os2.advocacy:271027 Robb Shecter <rshecter@faculty.ed.umuc.edu> wrote: > >There's something being missed here, though: Ancient programs like vi >and emacs that require the user to memorize a million keystrokes are just >too hard to use. > >I use vi: I've spent my time, and it works well for me. I know that emacs >is a wonderfull system, more powerful etc, and very fascinating. (I'm very ... >Emacs, vi & kin are asking us to do the equivalent of memorizing everything >we've ever learned, word for word. Maybe vi & kin are like that, but the emacs that I use has more memory aids than I could read if I started in the morning and read until bedtime. And if the help files aren't enough, there is a little toolbar across the top of the screen with drop down menus that can get most beginners doing more than they will probably ever be able to do in most editors. I can understand why someone with a knack for vi, and years of experience with it, would continue using it. But I can't bring myself to recommend it to a beginner today. I do feel comfortable telling someone to use pico if they need a only simple editor and will never need more. The only real editor to recommend to a serious user is an emacs editor (any of several varieties might do, it depends on the platform and the user). Floyd -- Floyd L. Davidson Salcha, Alaska floyd@tanana.polarnet.com