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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. |