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I think I’d say that the state of the art is reading the README, then the comments at the top of the source code for the package, then looking through the defvars. And, maybe that’s OK. I think Emacs should give up on the idea that it’s suitable for mass usage and embrace its identity as an editor for hackers who are at least slightly interested in lisp.

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I don't think Emacs is suitable for mass usage. I think it's suitable for power users who are willing to invest time into learning to use a powerful tool. And I also think more people are becoming power users. With a well-crafted tool, you don't have to be a hacker to be a power user. I think the Superhuman email company is an interesting bet on this trend.

My guess is there are really good abstractions that can be built on top of elisp that let people configure emacs to be a powerful tool that fits their workflow like a glove, and doesn't require them to learn elisp or package internals.

Sounds like we agree.

> My guess is there are really good abstractions that can be built on top of elisp that let people configure emacs to be a powerful tool that fits their workflow like a glove

Yes, when think about this I get a bit hung up on the UI. Maybe those abstractions are going to have to ship a new one.

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