RE: CUA-theme?

[Drew Adams]

>> Why do you think there would be confusion with the Emacs concept of
>> mode? Aren't Emacs modes things that change how Emacs behaves and
>> defines keybindings?
> 
> Because an emacs mode is "hereʼs some specific functionality for this
> type of editing/code/etc", and this other mode is "hereʼs a collection
> of parameters and Emacs modes configured in such a way that itʼs
> easier for people coming from non-Emacs editors".

Major modes, maybe.  But not minor modes.  Not in general.

A mode is just an interactive context that provides
a particular experience.  It encapsulates behavior, and
you can turn it on and off.

Both things you describe can be usefully handled as modes:
(1) specific functionality for a given type of activity,
and (2) a collection of settings and contexts (possibly
via modes) for some particular experience.