Re: Why does the tutorial talk about C-n/C-p etc?

[Phillip Lord]

John Wiegley <address@hidden> writes:

>>>>>> Phillip Lord <address@hidden> writes:
>
>> The arrows keys work perfectly well in my experience. In addition, there is
>> the mouse.
>
> We should avoid thinking that the audience for a tutorial has our same biases.
>
> Arrows and mouse are terribly slow if one is used to having their fingers on
> the home row. That said, there are indeed people for whom an arrow-key-and-
> mouse tutorial would be better suited.
>
> A good tutorial is readable and helpful to all audiences, not just for those
> whom we presume have the same predilections as ourselves.
>
> anyone who suggests we do away with mentioning C-npfb because *they* don't use
> those keys is making a mistake, in my opinion, by neglecting readers who would
> benefit from learning about the n/p/f/b paradigm (which is pervasive
> throughout Emacs, such as M-n, n in dired, C-M-n, C-c C-n, etc).

I suggest we do not mention C-npfb till late, if at all, not because it
reflects my bias, but because I have watched new Emacs' users reading
the tutorial. 

A tutorial is not a good place to teach people to do things differently
when they can already do them just fine. Some of that is inevitable
(window vs frame, kill vs cut). Much of it is not.

Phil