Re: Some of Alpha's problems

[Mr. N. <No...@ho...>]

On 29 Apr 2003 06:55:10 +0200 Joachim Kock wrote:
*snip*
>Let me return to the Tab issue: a couple of years ago I argued
>vigourously on the developers list that as default, at least in Text
>mode, the Tab key should produce a tab --- I found this quite
>obvious. This suggestion was rejected, the better argument being
>that otherwise the user would perhaps never discover the cool
>features of indentation or bullet-eating! This is Alpha's
>philosophy. Users are supposed to read the manual.

 I think that the default binding should be that the tab key gives a 
tab. I think I said so at the time.

 Part of my recent frustrations with tabs and the electric return was 
that my old Electrics prefs weren't preserved by AlphaX. I've had to 
find out where to fix these things and fix them.

 I don't think that users should be expected to search for the off
switch for advanced features activated by default (no matter how
cool those advanced features may be ;-)

 Manuals are good for telling you how to do things, but they aren't 
quite as good for telling you how to not do things. I reckon Alpha's 
philosophy ought to reflect this.

Mr. Noyb.