Automated commit

1 files changed, 787 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/2022/captions/emacsconf-2022-fanfare--fanfare-for-the-common-emacs-user--john-cummings--main.vtt b/2022/captions/emacsconf-2022-fanfare--fanfare-for-the-common-emacs-user--john-cummings--main.vtt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c50aa2bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2022/captions/emacsconf-2022-fanfare--fanfare-for-the-common-emacs-user--john-cummings--main.vtt
@@ -0,0 +1,787 @@
+WEBVTT captioned by John Cummings
+
+00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.203
+Hello, my name is John Cummings, and I'm here today
+
+00:00:02.206 --> 00:00:04.849
+to play a Fanfare for the Common Emacs User.
+
+00:00:04.852 --> 00:00:07.263
+By "common", I mean the types of Emacs usage
+
+00:00:07.266 --> 00:00:09.685
+and comfort that are simpler, more mundane,
+
+00:00:09.689 --> 00:00:11.074
+and yes, even imperfect,
+
+00:00:11.075 --> 00:00:13.035
+that some may identify with more than others,
+
+00:00:13.037 --> 00:00:14.648
+or more at certain times.
+
+00:00:14.651 --> 00:00:16.911
+It's hard to use Emacs and not be aware of
+
+00:00:16.914 --> 00:00:18.700
+the impressive and interesting accomplishments
+
+00:00:18.703 --> 00:00:20.754
+of its community. And here at emacsconf
+
+00:00:20.756 --> 00:00:22.424
+we also get pumped up about those things,
+
+00:00:22.426 --> 00:00:25.563
+amplified by the energy of the other attendees.
+
+00:00:25.567 --> 00:00:27.727
+But this energy fades as we return focus
+
+00:00:27.730 --> 00:00:30.567
+to our day-to-day work. And in these circumstances,
+
+00:00:30.571 --> 00:00:32.990
+we may unfairly judge our own Emacs usage
+
+00:00:32.993 --> 00:00:34.995
+against the community highlights.
+
+00:00:34.997 --> 00:00:37.708
+So I want to identify and celebrate the ways
+
+00:00:37.712 --> 00:00:39.930
+that we common Emacs users use it,
+
+00:00:39.932 --> 00:00:42.285
+the reasons why it's a good fit for those ways,
+
+00:00:42.290 --> 00:00:45.427
+and some ways we could take advantage of that.
+
+00:00:45.430 --> 00:00:48.524
+What is Emacs to us common users? Well, we're consumers.
+
+00:00:48.528 --> 00:00:51.489
+We use whatever was available - whatever our OS gave us,
+
+00:00:51.493 --> 00:00:53.987
+or whatever we found when we searched the web.
+
+00:00:53.990 --> 00:00:55.709
+We're not even necessarily aware
+
+00:00:55.711 --> 00:00:58.088
+of what the latest version is, or what changes it has.
+
+00:00:58.091 --> 00:01:00.135
+We may not ever think about upgrading.
+
+00:01:00.138 --> 00:01:02.740
+We have what we have, and we use what we have.
+
+00:01:02.742 --> 00:01:05.145
+But I think, with this simple act, many of us
+
+00:01:05.149 --> 00:01:07.993
+achieve a very significant Emacs milestone:
+
+00:01:07.997 --> 00:01:10.275
+we've committed to having it in our toolkit
+
+00:01:10.278 --> 00:01:12.622
+and our skillset. We'll probably install it
+
+00:01:12.625 --> 00:01:14.802
+on every system that we can, eventually.
+
+00:01:14.804 --> 00:01:16.827
+We know it has a use for us today,
+
+00:01:16.827 --> 00:01:18.120
+and that it will solve some problems
+
+00:01:18.120 --> 00:01:19.588
+that we don't even know about yet.
+
+00:01:19.588 --> 00:01:22.215
+It will not just be one tool; it will be many.
+
+00:01:22.215 --> 00:01:24.368
+And we know that it will be more than just useful;
+
+00:01:24.368 --> 00:01:27.345
+it will also be challenging, puzzling, and frustrating.
+
+00:01:27.345 --> 00:01:28.630
+But we still keep it
+
+00:01:28.630 --> 00:01:29.873
+as a permanent part of our toolkit,
+
+00:01:29.873 --> 00:01:31.800
+and we should be proud of that.
+
+00:01:31.800 --> 00:01:34.136
+And regardless of what exactly we've installed,
+
+00:01:34.136 --> 00:01:35.337
+it was a good choice.
+
+00:01:35.337 --> 00:01:37.556
+It will almost certainly do what we need it to do.
+
+00:01:37.556 --> 00:01:39.766
+Old versions are not inert dead-ends;
+
+00:01:39.766 --> 00:01:41.134
+they're still functional tools.
+
+00:01:41.134 --> 00:01:43.979
+And that's a key aspect of Emacs - it's a tool
+
+00:01:43.979 --> 00:01:46.398
+to get our work done. That sounds obvious,
+
+00:01:46.398 --> 00:01:48.483
+but it's easy to get distracted by the great things
+
+00:01:48.483 --> 00:01:49.985
+that it can accomplish, and think
+
+00:01:49.985 --> 00:01:52.571
+that it requires the same accomplishments from us.
+
+00:01:52.571 --> 00:01:54.656
+But it requires no advanced state of mind,
+
+00:01:54.656 --> 00:01:56.867
+no level of expertise to start using it,
+
+00:01:56.867 --> 00:01:58.043
+or use it correctly.
+
+00:01:58.043 --> 00:02:00.754
+It just requires that we have it, and use it.
+
+00:02:00.754 --> 00:02:03.665
+And with a little effort, we can get results early on,
+
+00:02:03.665 --> 00:02:06.084
+and those results are not just preparations
+
+00:02:06.084 --> 00:02:07.586
+for better things to come later;
+
+00:02:07.586 --> 00:02:08.712
+they have value for us today,
+
+00:02:08.712 --> 00:02:12.049
+and we're already using it right.
+
+00:02:12.049 --> 00:02:14.551
+And when we do need to tweak whatever we installed,
+
+00:02:14.551 --> 00:02:16.803
+we might again be consumers, finding some snippets
+
+00:02:16.803 --> 00:02:19.581
+out on the web, pasting them in, and moving on.
+
+00:02:19.581 --> 00:02:21.933
+We don't necessarily understand what we did,
+
+00:02:21.933 --> 00:02:24.102
+but we got some value out of it. Over time,
+
+00:02:24.102 --> 00:02:26.114
+we may participate more, take it day by day,
+
+00:02:26.114 --> 00:02:28.357
+and one day we may find that our config
+
+00:02:28.357 --> 00:02:30.902
+has become a disorganized pile.
+
+00:02:30.902 --> 00:02:32.027
+Maybe it's mixed haphazardly
+
+00:02:32.027 --> 00:02:34.029
+with some output from the "customize" feature,
+
+00:02:34.029 --> 00:02:35.697
+and eventually we start to feel
+
+00:02:35.697 --> 00:02:37.991
+like it's a shameful mess. It's hard to manage;
+
+00:02:37.991 --> 00:02:40.960
+we may think of it as append-only or read-only.
+
+00:02:40.960 --> 00:02:42.829
+We can't deny there are problems here,
+
+00:02:42.829 --> 00:02:45.582
+but it happened for a good reason. It was quick,
+
+00:02:45.582 --> 00:02:47.250
+easy, and effective for us
+
+00:02:47.250 --> 00:02:50.062
+to enhance our experience this way, and then move on.
+
+00:02:50.062 --> 00:02:52.172
+We were using Emacs as it was designed here.
+
+00:02:52.172 --> 00:02:54.775
+It just wasn't sustainable indefinitely.
+
+00:02:54.775 --> 00:02:56.627
+We may continue doing things this way
+
+00:02:56.627 --> 00:02:59.596
+even though we realize it's not a good idea.
+
+00:02:59.596 --> 00:03:00.472
+But I think there are some ways
+
+00:03:00.472 --> 00:03:01.682
+to mitigate the downsides,
+
+00:03:01.682 --> 00:03:03.150
+that let us embrace our tendencies,
+
+00:03:03.150 --> 00:03:05.444
+and continue to benefit from them.
+
+00:03:05.444 --> 00:03:06.971
+If we allow and encourage ourselves
+
+00:03:06.971 --> 00:03:10.065
+to capture our thoughts and circumstances
+
+00:03:10.065 --> 00:03:11.700
+along with the work that we do on our config,
+
+00:03:11.700 --> 00:03:14.386
+and do so without judgment, or the responsibility
+
+00:03:14.386 --> 00:03:17.047
+to "do it right", we give ourselves the context
+
+00:03:17.047 --> 00:03:19.549
+to understand and manage it later.
+
+00:03:19.549 --> 00:03:21.618
+This should be done however works for us,
+
+00:03:21.618 --> 00:03:23.286
+whether it's rambling inline comments,
+
+00:03:23.286 --> 00:03:25.247
+keeping a separate journal or notes,
+
+00:03:25.247 --> 00:03:27.975
+or even a more advanced literate programming technique,
+
+00:03:27.975 --> 00:03:30.485
+if we want to make an investment like that.
+
+00:03:30.485 --> 00:03:32.629
+Or putting our config into source control,
+
+00:03:32.629 --> 00:03:34.214
+even if it's nothing more than a simple,
+
+00:03:34.214 --> 00:03:37.050
+daily record of changes along with our contextual notes,
+
+00:03:37.050 --> 00:03:41.221
+will make things a lot easier for our future selves.
+
+00:03:41.221 --> 00:03:43.974
+But regardless of how well, or sloppy, we manage it,
+
+00:03:43.974 --> 00:03:46.184
+we should also realize that our messy config
+
+00:03:46.184 --> 00:03:48.129
+is a personal artifact with inherent value,
+
+00:03:48.129 --> 00:03:51.565
+even if it's amusement value, or sentimental value.
+
+00:03:51.565 --> 00:03:54.401
+Emacs is not only a tool to get our work done,
+
+00:03:54.401 --> 00:03:56.978
+it can also be a very personalized experience.
+
+00:03:56.978 --> 00:03:59.366
+And if so, then our Emacs config
+
+00:03:59.366 --> 00:04:02.110
+is our experience in written form.
+
+00:04:02.110 --> 00:04:04.303
+You can see it as a log of your journey through Emacs,
+
+00:04:04.303 --> 00:04:06.663
+and the mark that you made on it along the way,
+
+00:04:06.663 --> 00:04:08.506
+mistakes and all.
+
+00:04:08.506 --> 00:04:10.676
+We may see our config as a record of failure,
+
+00:04:10.676 --> 00:04:12.886
+of things that we did wrong, the things that we repeated,
+
+00:04:12.886 --> 00:04:15.672
+or never finished. But it's important to realize
+
+00:04:15.672 --> 00:04:18.592
+that a record of failure is a record of persistence.
+
+00:04:18.592 --> 00:04:20.761
+In that sense, it's kind of like our genome:
+
+00:04:20.761 --> 00:04:23.197
+a set of unique, disorganized,
+
+00:04:23.197 --> 00:04:26.308
+somewhat accidental properties, that, on the whole,
+
+00:04:26.308 --> 00:04:29.394
+makes us fit to survive in our Emacs usage.
+
+00:04:29.394 --> 00:04:31.021
+It's also interesting to think of it
+
+00:04:31.021 --> 00:04:33.482
+as an archaeological record. Where we can sometimes
+
+00:04:33.482 --> 00:04:35.942
+get some insight into our "ancient times".
+
+00:04:35.942 --> 00:04:38.570
+Just being able to see what we were doing years ago
+
+00:04:38.570 --> 00:04:40.906
+is interesting -- to see how things changed,
+
+00:04:40.906 --> 00:04:43.158
+and hopefully grew over time. And sometimes
+
+00:04:43.158 --> 00:04:45.845
+we find some buried treasures that we forgot were there.
+
+00:04:45.845 --> 00:04:48.172
+And of course it's interesting to realize
+
+00:04:48.172 --> 00:04:50.874
+that when we start Emacs, this pile of config
+
+00:04:50.874 --> 00:04:52.959
+also executes in roughly the same order
+
+00:04:52.959 --> 00:04:56.438
+that we created it in. Our journey through Emacs
+
+00:04:56.438 --> 00:04:59.482
+happens again and again every time we start it up.
+
+00:04:59.482 --> 00:05:04.095
+And it's ready for us to keep working on it.
+
+00:05:04.095 --> 00:05:05.305
+And when it comes to packages,
+
+00:05:05.305 --> 00:05:09.050
+we may not make extensive use of them, if any at all.
+
+00:05:09.050 --> 00:05:10.602
+We probably have different reasons for this.
+
+00:05:10.602 --> 00:05:12.437
+We may feel like we need to reach
+
+00:05:12.437 --> 00:05:14.815
+some level of mastery before we start using them.
+
+00:05:14.815 --> 00:05:17.943
+We may not have the mental room to think about packages,
+
+00:05:17.943 --> 00:05:20.362
+or may not want to take on the administrative burden
+
+00:05:20.362 --> 00:05:22.989
+required to keep track of which packages we have,
+
+00:05:22.989 --> 00:05:25.834
+the dependencies and versions, and their compatibility.
+
+00:05:25.834 --> 00:05:27.694
+Some of us may just be uncomfortable
+
+00:05:27.694 --> 00:05:30.664
+letting new third-party code run in our environments.
+
+00:05:30.664 --> 00:05:31.832
+It could also just be the case
+
+00:05:31.832 --> 00:05:35.377
+that our needs haven't driven us to need a package yet.
+
+00:05:35.377 --> 00:05:36.871
+We're already doing what we need,
+
+00:05:36.871 --> 00:05:39.089
+and doing it efficiently enough.
+
+00:05:39.089 --> 00:05:40.215
+And here we find more alignment
+
+00:05:40.215 --> 00:05:42.592
+between Emacs the tool, and our common mindset:
+
+00:05:42.592 --> 00:05:44.977
+They work well when they stay needs-driven.
+
+00:05:44.977 --> 00:05:46.646
+We're not obligated to use
+
+00:05:46.646 --> 00:05:48.949
+as much of Emacs' functionality as we can,
+
+00:05:48.949 --> 00:05:51.159
+or every package that we're aware of
+
+00:05:51.159 --> 00:05:52.510
+if we don't have a need to.
+
+00:05:52.510 --> 00:05:54.971
+And in fact, that's a great way to stay overwhelmed.
+
+00:05:54.971 --> 00:05:57.700
+But if we stay aware of our needs, and then find
+
+00:05:57.700 --> 00:05:59.902
+that there is a package that might address them,
+
+00:05:59.902 --> 00:06:02.655
+then we can deal with it. And a need to explore,
+
+00:06:02.655 --> 00:06:05.823
+and a need to be curious, is a valid need.
+
+00:06:05.823 --> 00:06:09.327
+And if we do need extra confidence for that exploration,
+
+00:06:09.327 --> 00:06:10.912
+then the things we talked about before,
+
+00:06:10.912 --> 00:06:13.633
+like keeping good notes of our experiences and needs,
+
+00:06:13.633 --> 00:06:15.541
+or version controlling our config,
+
+00:06:15.541 --> 00:06:18.586
+will help us keep that connection to our needs,
+
+00:06:18.586 --> 00:06:20.922
+that gives us the freedom to experiment
+
+00:06:20.922 --> 00:06:23.008
+in the wide world of packages.
+
+00:06:23.008 --> 00:06:27.262
+And if we really do just need what's built in to Emacs,
+
+00:06:27.262 --> 00:06:29.514
+the vanilla out-of-the-box experience,
+
+00:06:29.514 --> 00:06:32.183
+then we can also be proud that we're making use
+
+00:06:32.183 --> 00:06:33.560
+of all the work that went into that experience,
+
+00:06:33.560 --> 00:06:35.021
+because a lot did.
+
+00:06:35.021 --> 00:06:37.256
+And when we report any problems that we find,
+
+00:06:37.256 --> 00:06:39.190
+we're also working to keep that experience
+
+00:06:39.190 --> 00:06:41.192
+smooth for future users.
+
+00:06:41.192 --> 00:06:43.987
+Of course, some of us may find this intimidating,
+
+00:06:43.987 --> 00:06:46.531
+and if so, feel free to reach out to me,
+
+00:06:46.531 --> 00:06:48.767
+and probably anyone in the community,
+
+00:06:48.767 --> 00:06:56.249
+that can help you navigate that process.
+
+00:06:56.249 --> 00:06:59.461
+So how do we use our Emacs installation?
+
+00:06:59.461 --> 00:07:01.838
+We often use it very simply: we get simple results
+
+00:07:01.838 --> 00:07:06.068
+in simple ways. Often we do things the same simple way
+
+00:07:06.068 --> 00:07:08.720
+for a very long time, and this is of course great,
+
+00:07:08.720 --> 00:07:10.513
+since we're getting done what we need to get done.
+
+00:07:10.513 --> 00:07:14.392
+There's no result or method too simple for Emacs.
+
+00:07:14.392 --> 00:07:16.853
+And we're not oblivious to the alternative.
+
+00:07:16.853 --> 00:07:19.356
+Many of us are at least aware that there are ways
+
+00:07:19.356 --> 00:07:20.649
+we could iterate on what we do,
+
+00:07:20.649 --> 00:07:22.734
+or some polish that we could apply,
+
+00:07:22.734 --> 00:07:24.569
+and we may even quite enjoy
+
+00:07:24.569 --> 00:07:27.113
+reading about more advanced Emacs possibilities,
+
+00:07:27.113 --> 00:07:28.215
+and thinking about how they could apply
+
+00:07:28.215 --> 00:07:30.951
+to our own workflow, but at the end of the day,
+
+00:07:30.951 --> 00:07:33.703
+we still keep our own usage the same, and basic.
+
+00:07:33.703 --> 00:07:36.998
+And this is another fundamental aspect of using Emacs.
+
+00:07:36.998 --> 00:07:38.959
+You can work simply and successfully,
+
+00:07:38.959 --> 00:07:40.502
+but you'll always be conscious of the possibility
+
+00:07:40.502 --> 00:07:43.213
+for far more complexity. And many of us
+
+00:07:43.213 --> 00:07:46.424
+do try to iterate on our ways, and sometimes succeed,
+
+00:07:46.424 --> 00:07:49.177
+but often we run into trouble and we stop or defer.
+
+00:07:49.177 --> 00:07:51.304
+A lot of times we're intimidated by the scope of things -
+
+00:07:51.304 --> 00:07:53.848
+we're not sure how to make measurable progress.
+
+00:07:53.848 --> 00:07:56.101
+We may find that the first ways we learned
+
+00:07:56.101 --> 00:07:59.312
+are so ingrained in us, that learning even a second way
+
+00:07:59.312 --> 00:08:01.147
+is many times harder.
+
+00:08:01.147 --> 00:08:03.191
+And sometimes we do make sudden progress
+
+00:08:03.191 --> 00:08:04.275
+after years of sameness,
+
+00:08:04.275 --> 00:08:06.260
+and wonder why we waited so long.
+
+00:08:06.260 --> 00:08:07.737
+And these are universal pains
+
+00:08:07.737 --> 00:08:11.324
+that everyone has to feel who wants to improve.
+
+00:08:11.324 --> 00:08:13.451
+But this is again where we can benefit
+
+00:08:13.451 --> 00:08:14.661
+from letting our needs drive us.
+
+00:08:14.661 --> 00:08:16.538
+Sometimes they'll tell us that it's OK
+
+00:08:16.538 --> 00:08:18.806
+keeping things the way they are, and sometimes
+
+00:08:18.806 --> 00:08:20.491
+they'll tell us that it's good to keep pushing,
+
+00:08:20.491 --> 00:08:21.767
+because there's a reason for it,
+
+00:08:21.767 --> 00:08:25.077
+and we'll be glad that we did.
+
+00:08:25.077 --> 00:08:27.507
+And what are the ways that we do learn,
+
+00:08:27.507 --> 00:08:30.635
+and grow, and create within Emacs? One constant
+
+00:08:30.635 --> 00:08:33.596
+is that we forget a lot. We learn something
+
+00:08:33.596 --> 00:08:35.682
+and then remember that we already learned
+
+00:08:35.682 --> 00:08:38.309
+and forgot it once before. Sometimes we just hope
+
+00:08:38.309 --> 00:08:39.769
+to learn more than we forget.
+
+00:08:39.769 --> 00:08:41.772
+And staying driven by our needs can also help here,
+
+00:08:41.772 --> 00:08:43.499
+because it's easier to learn something
+
+00:08:43.499 --> 00:08:46.317
+when we have a reason to, and an application for it.
+
+00:08:46.317 --> 00:08:49.071
+In Emacs, it can be tempting to do this backwards,
+
+00:08:49.071 --> 00:08:51.782
+and want to learn all there is about Emacs first,
+
+00:08:51.782 --> 00:08:53.992
+and then apply it. But again that's a surefire way
+
+00:08:53.992 --> 00:08:55.935
+to stay overwhelmed.
+
+00:08:55.935 --> 00:08:59.640
+And when we code and build things, we tend to create many small, quick things,
+
+00:08:59.640 --> 00:09:01.600
+but never really integrate them deeply
+
+00:09:01.600 --> 00:09:03.661
+into our environment or workflow.
+
+00:09:03.661 --> 00:09:05.462
+We leave things half-finished once we get bored,
+
+00:09:05.462 --> 00:09:07.088
+or find ourselves in over our head.
+
+00:09:07.088 --> 00:09:09.883
+And this is natural, because we're curious and creative,
+
+00:09:09.883 --> 00:09:12.677
+and Emacs makes it relatively easy, and actually fun,
+
+00:09:12.677 --> 00:09:14.845
+to experiment and get these quick results.
+
+00:09:14.845 --> 00:09:17.065
+But it's less clear how to see them through,
+
+00:09:17.065 --> 00:09:20.310
+and inherently less fun to do the follow-up gruntwork.
+
+00:09:20.310 --> 00:09:21.970
+But if we embrace our ways here,
+
+00:09:21.970 --> 00:09:23.897
+and structure our workflow to support them,
+
+00:09:23.897 --> 00:09:26.215
+we might find ourselves more satisfied.
+
+00:09:26.215 --> 00:09:28.926
+So let's give ourselves permission, and a logical place
+
+00:09:28.926 --> 00:09:31.571
+to put all our fun little quick experiments,
+
+00:09:31.571 --> 00:09:33.423
+without having to worry about integrating
+
+00:09:33.423 --> 00:09:35.700
+or polishing them, unless we find a need to later.
+
+00:09:35.700 --> 00:09:38.505
+Let's use source control wisely to give ourselves
+
+00:09:38.505 --> 00:09:41.447
+a place to experiment, and a place for stability.
+
+00:09:41.447 --> 00:09:42.968
+Let's stay needs-driven so that we know
+
+00:09:42.968 --> 00:09:46.186
+what we really do need to follow up on,
+
+00:09:46.186 --> 00:09:48.963
+and what's OK to drop. And let's remember
+
+00:09:48.963 --> 00:09:50.965
+that there is someone who will always appreciate
+
+00:09:50.965 --> 00:09:53.635
+any notes about our thought process we can take,
+
+00:09:53.635 --> 00:09:55.845
+no matter how rough or rambling they are:
+
+00:09:55.845 --> 00:09:58.788
+our future selves.
+
+00:09:58.788 --> 00:10:01.376
+And so I hope that some people can identify with
+
+00:10:01.376 --> 00:10:02.927
+at least some of what I've shared today.
+
+00:10:02.927 --> 00:10:05.021
+And I hope that we realize that,
+
+00:10:05.021 --> 00:10:06.964
+no matter how we see ourselves as Emacs users,
+
+00:10:06.964 --> 00:10:09.233
+and no matter what we see other people building,
+
+00:10:09.233 --> 00:10:11.569
+we're proud of the fact that we have built
+
+00:10:11.569 --> 00:10:15.865
+an experience that fits us. Thank you to everyone.