POV-Ray <3 Been a while since I used that. I think it's a shame that they stopped developing it. They say things are better, but are they really? The scripting language for it is really cool IMHO.
∑ Xah Code
31–40 of 66 posts
Re: ∑ Xah Code
#32Xah writes some of the most readable guides and doc I've found anywhere. Specifically, readable in the sense that meaning is efficiently conveyed. In technical contexts it's clear nothing else matters to him. He also isn't reluctant to speak his mind about ... well, just about anything, for better or worse. Usually better, I think, even when it's wordvomit, seeing someone else willing to talk about or criticize something reinforces it however subtly as 'something some people do' and something you may in turn be more likely to do yourself. Which is a net good.
I refer to him regularly, especially when translating ideas to people who aren't in the computer jargon 'orbit'.
The extremes his opinions (and overall style) sit at also force or at least nudge others to think about and elucidate their own positions, if only to themselves. I think it's intentional, and eat it up. I've noticed a lot of people can't stand him for the exact same reasons which suggests it's working.
Re: ∑ Xah Code
#33Earlier quoted context omitted.
The risk is overstated, many people have used without any issue and there is no control group as well, those programmers might have issues either way, Emacs or not.
> there is no control group as well VIM users?
VIM started flirting with giving me RSI issues (mostly : and esc keys; yes, even on capslock. I have small hands) after some years. It's a comparison certainly but not a control.
Re: ∑ Xah Code
#34I did not know about how terribly is that: Famous Programers with Repetitive Strain Injury http://xahlee.info/emacs/emacs/emacs_hand_pain_celebrity.htm... Seems that Emacs is no good in excess!
The risk is overstated, many people have used without any issue and there is no control group as well, those programmers might have issues either way, Emacs or not.
Also the problem affects the whole the meta group of coders, beyond emacs. Even in the article one of the poor RSI victims explicitly is an avid vi user and emacs hater (John Ousterhout of TCL fame).
Phew.
Re: ∑ Xah Code
#35Xah Lee’s tips on elisp were super useful to me. A relic of the usenet era (an infamous troll on comp.lang.lisp), but someone who has added a lot of value to a lot of lives Long love ergomacs!
His Elisp tutorials were (and still are) invaluable to me for familiarizing myself with Emacs.
Re: ∑ Xah Code
#36Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Long love ergomacs! I recently stumbled over, and started using (and modifying) Xah's "xah-fly-keys" emacs bindings, which are a somewhat more radical implementation of the ideas behind ergoemacs (e.g. use Emacs without any "chording", i.e. without ever having to press two keys at once apart from shift+letter). [1] https://github.com/xahlee/xah-fly-keys
Why not just use Evil, the VIM emulation layer.
> Why not just use Evil, the VIM emulation layer.
To cite Xah [1]:
"xah-fly-keys.el is a modal editing mode for emacs, like vi, but the design of key/command choice is based on command frequency statistics and ease-of-key score. Most frequently used commands have most easy keys."
I can confirm, that the amount of work on the hands is extremely reduced with xah-fly-keys vs. vanilla emacs (depending on where you put the command mode switch), though I have no experience with evil or vi to compare against.
Re: ∑ Xah Code
#37Earlier quoted context omitted.
> there is no control group as well VIM users?
VIM started flirting with giving me RSI issues (mostly : and esc keys; yes, even on capslock. I have small hands) after some years. It's a comparison certainly but not a control.
> esc key
You may use Ctrl-[ instead. What do you mean about capslock? Mapping capslock to esc?
Re: ∑ Xah Code
#38I did not know about how terribly is that: Famous Programers with Repetitive Strain Injury http://xahlee.info/emacs/emacs/emacs_hand_pain_celebrity.htm... Seems that Emacs is no good in excess!
I'm an Emacs user and I've struggled with RSI throughout my career. I don't know whether I blame Emacs particularly, but the ctrl-letter chords aren't kind on the wrists.
For me, switching the mouse to my left hand and using split keyboards (I like the Microsoft natural keyboard) has helped a lot.
It's taken about as many years as it took to get bad to get better again. If my wrists start hurting I will take a break and I might use ice on them in the evenings if it gets bad.
If your wrists start hurting get professional help before it gets really bad. I had to try a lot of things before I found improvements and the improvements are really slow. Physiotherapy can help improve things in the short term.
Would I still have RSI if I was a vi user? Probably. I think it is more a personality thing, wanting to finish the job so ignoring your body telling you that you should take a break.
Re: ∑ Xah Code
#39I did not know about how terribly is that: Famous Programers with Repetitive Strain Injury http://xahlee.info/emacs/emacs/emacs_hand_pain_celebrity.htm... Seems that Emacs is no good in excess!
After some ten years of Emacs use, I spent a few hours crafting less insane ways of invoking common functions, to save my wrists.
Later I just stopped typing so much so fast, and even - apostasy - gave up using Emacs altogether.
And so it goes.
Re: ∑ Xah Code
#40Xah Lee’s tips on elisp were super useful to me. A relic of the usenet era (an infamous troll on comp.lang.lisp), but someone who has added a lot of value to a lot of lives Long love ergomacs!
> an infamous troll on comp.lang.lisp Are you perhaps confusing him with Erik Naggum, cos there just happens to be a post on HN about Erik right now. And Erik could be something special when a fuse blew!
No, Xah was a troll. He trolled on groups i read, too - comp.lang.java.programmer or comp.lang.python, or both.