Re: Interactive guide for new users

[Jean Louis]

* Elias Mårtenson <lokedhs@gmail.com> [2020-09-26 12:17]:
> On Sat, 12 Sep 2020, 18:36 Gregory Heytings via Emacs development
> discussions., <emacs-devel@gnu.org> wrote:
> 
> >
> > "Not now" would not do anything, so the initial greeting would be executed
> > again the next time Emacs is started.  And "Don't show this again" would
> > create an empty ~/.emacs / ~/.emacs.d/init.el, so the initial greeting
> > would not be executed again.
> >
> 
> At the risk of adding to the bikeshedding, may I ask that if you click on
> "don't display again", the UI displays a brief explanation that it created
> the file and where it is?
> 
> It's a pet peeve of mine because in many applications I have selected such
> options accidentally and then had no way to find out how to get back to the
> original state.

That could maybe be solved by turning the imaginary
help-me-return-to-original-state-mode that could log various messages
and show hints to the user in the minibar, just as the Midnight
Commander file manager is showing it to users.

If such mode would be turned on, it would more clearly then the
message log, inform the user which file was saved and where, and how
to get to the file back.

if there is some option customized, the imaginary mode could tell to
user how to come back to it, or how to revert it, it could include the
reference to key bindings as well.

Thus it could follow the users in their actions and help them revert
back or reference those actions to other actions, making the AI within
Emacs, which is anyway what I would expect it of a computer and
software, to help me as artificial intelligence to use a computer, not
that I need to search for help on Internet.

So let us start creating the general beginner-AI-mode that is to help user and
guide the user through whatever necessary that user feel better
guided. Those C-h functions could be then connected in the flow or
workflows.

If {C-h k} is pressed, such AI mode could advice the user about other
referenced keys that are related to the one that user asked for, it
could show references. For now {C-h k} is showing what the key does
and it points it to the Lisp file. But if the kez is speaking about
the end of buffer, that could all be said in a nicer way, for
beginners, without Lisp file, and various complications, and it could
point out hyperlinks to begin of file key and various other keys
relevant to end of buffer key.

If user turns on option to remove the menu, from the Option menu, then
the Beginner's AI mode would clearly inform the user that F10 may be
pressed to come back to Menu again or {M-x toggle-menu-bar-mode-from-frame}
would bring it back. Not that the user get stuck if the menu bar is
toggled off.

espeak or other speech engine could be, should be implemented in the
Beginner's AI Mode, and such would interact with the user in similar
fashion as phone interactive menus interact with callers. User could
ask the Beginner's AI or Hal, call it as you wish, by telling "Hello
Hal" or pressing a key.

Then Hal would respond: How may I help you master? (delete "master"
for political correctness)

Then user would say "menu" or something like that, and Hal could ask
if menu bar should be toggled on, or it would open the menu. Or it
could find relevant subjects related to "deleting a line". Or it could
ask the user menu of options to choose from, user could speak to the
Hal and get things done in easy manner.

Jean