Re: cua-mode and the tutorial

[Lennart Borgman]

Richard Stallman wrote:
> I don't see much point in teaching an absolute beginner standard Emacs
> if that is not what he will get when he runs Emacs normally.
>   
Maybe this is wishful thinking? That new users will use Emacs standard 
key bindings only? It is hard for me to believe they will.

Is it not plausible that they have been using CUA keys and want to use 
that in Emacs? I was one of the new users that would not have been using 
Emacs without CUA mode. A usability expert gave these three simple rules 
of thumb:

   Ease of use:
   how efficient is the software when used 40 hours a week.
   Ease of learning:
   how quickly can the user build an overview and feel in control of
   the software, when used for the first time.
   Ease of remembering:
   how familiar and reassuring is the software for the user, when it is
   used only occasionally.

The second rule seems to apply here.

Another big potential user base is of course those who used VIM or vi 
before. (I happen to be one of those too.)

> Another idea occurs to me: display the list of changed bindings
> together with a message like this:
>
>     The tutorial won't work for you, because someone
>     has customized your Emacs, changing these basic commands.
>     Probably whoever set up Emacs for you did it in a nonstandard way.
>     Please ask him to teach you to use this nonstandard Emacs
>     or else ask him to change your Emacs setup back to standard.
>   
Is it not quite likely that the person who set up Emacs is the user 
himself? He might have read some advice on how to get started and 
customized Emacs to use CUA mode.