path: root/2023/captions/emacsconf-2023-sharing--sharing-emacs-is-caring-emacs-emacs-education-and-why-i-embraced-video--jacob-boxerman--main.vtt

WEBVTT captioned by sachac, checked by sachac

NOTE Introduction

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Hello everyone, I'm Jacob Boxerman.

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I'm a sophomore at Columbia University

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studying computer science.

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I'm so excited to be here today

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right at the end of EmacsConf 2023.

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So glad to be able to share with everyone today.

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EmacsConf is really the epitome for me

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of sharing and of learning about Emacs.

NOTE Today's talk

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And in my closing keynote

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titled "Sharing Emacs is Caring Emacs,"

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I want to drive that home,

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and I want to make every day

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a day for learning and for sharing in our community.

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I'd like to share my own journey

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of sharing the joy of Emacs

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and convince you that sharing the ways we share

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and how we participate in our Emacs community,

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those are the most important things

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to both grow our community

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and to increase our own personal joy in Emacs.

NOTE My history with Emacs

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My journey of sharing begins with my journey of learning.

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So I'll start by spending a bit of time on that.

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I use Emacs every day for personal organization

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and to-dos -- you know, schoolwork, projects,

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exams, readings. I use Org Mode for that,

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write essays, make presentations like this one.

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I also write in various programming languages

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including Java, C, Python,

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locally and also remotely for projects, classes,

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other responsibilities.

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I really started with Emacs during the pandemic.

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I had tried Emacs before, but at the time

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all I knew it for was `M-x tetris`.

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But then its power and its configurability even then

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especially spoke to me.

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So from those little humble beginnings,

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trying different preconfigured distros,

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I slowly made my way to building

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my own 2000+ line configuration,

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which actually surprisingly has about 70 stars,

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a few watchers, a few forks on GitHub.

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Pretty straightforward.

NOTE Self-exploration vs learning from others

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But what exactly was that learning process like?

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Now, Emacs was such a beast to me at first.

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I was familiar with Python,

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with C, Java, languages like that.

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I was no stranger to the shell configuration,

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anything like that.

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But the absolute infinity of possibility with Emacs

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was a bit overwhelming.

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I find a sentiment in the community

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that exploring on one's own

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was greater than exploring and learning from others.

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And now I see why people say that and it's true in a sense,

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but it might not be fully understood.

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At a certain point, we need to all create our own paths.

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And I think that's just one of the ways Emacs is built.

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The minute possibilities of configurability are so vast,

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it's like a fingerprint or a snowflake --

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there are so many options to create

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a totally unique Emacs experience.

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Of course that can't be found from somebody else --

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It has to come from you.

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Still, building a strong foundation

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is much, much better when we have others.

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Expanding on that foundation is, too, actually.

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My own process started

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with a lot of Googling, blog posts, YouTube, and Reddit.

NOTE Learning process

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I actually found Emacs on YouTube.

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Seeing how other people used it

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was what really convinced me to try it for myself.

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At a certain point when my confidence grew,

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my trial and error became less error and more success.

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I was also able to take what I saw other people do,

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learn from it, and expand, making it my own.

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And through that time, I learned Emacs.

NOTE Emacs learning (not just learning Emacs)

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But I also participated in Emacs learning.

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What's the difference?

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We often discuss the former,

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grappling with key binds, commands.

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But Emacs learning goes beyond these technicalities.

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It's a mindset. It thrives on collaboration.

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It's not a solo endeavor;

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it flourishes best when we do it together.

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This involves collaborating together,

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creating a collaborative mindset,

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sharing effective strategies,

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lifting each other

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through our collective pool of knowledge.

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Together, we contribute to the growth of each member

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within our vibrant community.

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Emacs learning is much, much harder to do alone.

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And I wanted to help with that.

NOTE My YouTube journey

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So this brings me to the second part of my talk,

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my Emacs journey, how I got started

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and where I am today with my YouTube channel,

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my Straightforward Emacs series with nearly 200,000 views.

NOTE Why not just read the manual?

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The Emacs Manual is often pushed

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as the best way to learn Emacs.

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It's an all-encompassing tome.

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And as amazing as I think it is,

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I don't think it's reasonable

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to push the Emacs manual so hard,

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which is something I felt at first.

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It can be really daunting. It's dense.

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There's a lot there.

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It's just a bit too much for a beginner,

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or even someone with a little bit of experience.

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These qualities, I feel,

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apply to many of the Emacs resources we can find out there.

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The best word for them is heavy.

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They look, they feel, they come across as heavy

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regardless of what they may actually be.

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It's not even that people are too lazy,

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or not capable enough (because that's never true).

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It's just a mental block that takes some getting over,

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and that's okay -- so we need other things, too.

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For me, that was video.

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I wanted someone to tell and show me

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what I wanted to know,

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as well as things I didn't even know were possible.

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I realized this once I'd progressed a little further

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in my Emacs journey. I wanted to do my part.

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I care about Emacs. I started to really care about Emacs.

NOTE Why video for Emacs

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So I wanted to share about Emacs.

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So at that point, I refocused my work with Emacs

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beyond just myself. I wanted to help others

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feel the excitement that I did.

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So where did I turn, and why?

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It's so trite, but they say that

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a picture is worth a thousand words.

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So how much is a video worth?

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Everyone learns differently, and that's okay.

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But it's absolutely certain to me

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that you need to see something to believe it.

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So for that, I turned to video.

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And it turns out that seeing is believing.

NOTE Straightforward Emacs

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I made a short video showing off Emacs Org Mode.

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I didn't even have a voiceover.

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That video, less than five minutes long,

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but still incorporating some of my core principles,

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now has over 55,000 views and counting.

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So, something must have been right.

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And the positive reception to that video

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made me want to continue.

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I decided to continue with the videos

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in a series I titled "Straightforward Emacs."

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And I'm asked: who is the target audience

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for Straightforward Emacs? It's me.

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They're the videos I wish I had existed

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when I was figuring out

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Emacs' numerous and wonderful features.

NOTE Challenges and benefits of video

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Video does, I admit, come with its own set of challenges.

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Complaints that video is less accessible, it's valid.

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They're more time consuming, it's valid too.

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It's harder to skim a video than a blog post,

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and referring back can be a little annoying.

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To try and solve this,

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I make video notes available as best I can though.

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It's not perfect. Despite these valid claims,

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I believe video offers a sense of personality

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that written content just can't.

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And that makes it well worth it.

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My first two videos in the series

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received a combined 35,000 views.

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I still get kind comments today

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from viewers thanking me, asking questions.

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So I must have done something right,

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to outweigh those cons of video,

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to outweigh those common complaints.

NOTE Crafting tutorials that work

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What was it? I covered topics that had been done before.

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But I wanted to present them in my way.

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In the way that I knew people would appreciate,

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because it's what I would have appreciated

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when I started my Emacs journey.

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In writing, I navigated towards clarity.

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Crystal clear, step-by-step instructions.

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Fully scripted, recorded in multiple parts and

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spliced together. That allowed me

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to achieve my second goal: no wasted time, or word,

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or thought. I meticulously cut my videos

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to create smooth dialogue.

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I cut out large blocks of typing if not explained.

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Though this does vary video to video.

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Less scripted, more personal video receives less editing.

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Like this talk itself, it's not edited at all.

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And though prerecorded, I wanted to present

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my unfiltered, raw self.

NOTE High-quality and accessible content

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Another goal of mine is high quality and accessible content.

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I speak carefully and I tune my volume,

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making it easier to listen to,

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and improving YouTube's auto-captioning.

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Something I didn't consider at first,

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but was mentioned to me in a comment, was color scheme.

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Now I try to select a scheme

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with good contrast and a readable font.

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Content-wise, I design my tutorials

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to ensure they cater to various skill levels,

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as well as learning preferences.

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My videos assume basic Emacs knowledge

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but not too much more.

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Importantly, they're configuration agnostic.

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However you feel about Emacs' 'distributions',

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Doom, Spacemacs, etc, they're out there,

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and beginners often don't distinguish.

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I admit it can be a bit frustrating to see a Reddit post

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asking a question about unexpected behavior,

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without mention of the fact that they have

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literally thousands of lines of non-standard configuration

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in the form of an Emacs distribution.

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So I do my best to mention different possible keybindings

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a viewer might be using.

NOTE Most crucial aspect of my videos

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There was one thing, though, that turned out to be

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the most crucial part of my videos and series.

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And it's one of the reasons itself for this talk.

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You may have already picked up on it.

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It's the personal aspect. Sharing myself.

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Incorporating relatable examples,

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scenarios that resonate with my audience.

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Seeing personal use cases, examples,

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and demonstrations of real life Emacs use

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is really what began to build a community.

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Because that's the stuff that can jump out of the video

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and into the comments.

NOTE A broadening community

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The idea for this talk started

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as a story of my YouTube journey.

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I wanted to share how I began sharing Emacs

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and why I like it. And I think I've done that.

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Thanks to the EmacsConf organizers, though,

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I started to see a larger vision.

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Each video I made took a lot of effort,

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from research and planning to script writing,

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filming and editing. But those comments made it worth it --

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people saying that straightforward Emacs

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was just what they were looking for,

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and that they appreciated my sharing.

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That's what made me want to continue.

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And what made me want to continue even more

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was the community I was building.

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I'd start to see repeat viewers

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who'd come back for my latest upload.

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It's hard for me to find time to produce videos.

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But whether it was two weeks or four months later

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when I finally got around to uploading,

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those same commenters would be there for me.

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And I found real joy in actively engaging with my audience.

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It was amazing to see how my videos --

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me sharing useful Emacs tips,

00:10:51.260 --> 00:10:55.119
sharing the way I do things -- sparked broader discussions.

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On any chat form out there, there's no doubt

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you'll find some sort of cross discourse.

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I'd see viewers replying to other commenters,

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and my videos were no exception. Seeing how

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my videos sparked conversation,

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debate and further interest was incredible.

NOTE Sharing Emacs

00:11:10.780 --> 00:11:13.999
We've had two amazing days of sharing Emacs,

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putting ourselves out there, and sharing in a community.

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I want to emphasize how amazing

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a strong community with the right values is,

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and to inspire each and every one of us

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to do our part to strengthen that community.

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The point of my talk isn't to tell you

00:11:30.260 --> 00:11:33.119
to pick up your microphone and produce a YouTube video,

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though that wouldn't hurt.

00:11:34.560 --> 00:11:37.779
We're not all interested in that, and that's okay.

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First, I want everybody to pat themselves on the back

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for the mere fact that we are here together.

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Then let's turn to the potential within our community.

NOTE Platforms

00:11:48.020 --> 00:11:50.139
First, though, I'll briefly note

00:11:50.140 --> 00:11:52.339
that everyone has their opinions about platforms,

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and I'm not here to make judgments,

00:11:53.460 --> 00:11:56.059
but freedom, equity, and accessibility are important,

00:11:56.060 --> 00:11:57.921
but reach is, too.

NOTE Achieving unity

00:11:57.922 --> 00:12:00.539
Regardless of the platform,

00:12:00.540 --> 00:12:02.699
one thing remains certain:

00:12:02.700 --> 00:12:05.399
our strength lies in unity.

00:12:05.400 --> 00:12:08.739
Like any online community, this calls for unique ways

00:12:08.740 --> 00:12:13.779
to come together and share. How can we achieve this unity?

00:12:13.780 --> 00:12:15.099
The key is finding avenues

00:12:15.100 --> 00:12:18.799
where our collective knowledge and our support can flourish,

00:12:18.800 --> 00:12:21.779
while each person can find a place for themselves,

00:12:21.780 --> 00:12:25.679
creating a more connected and empowered Emacs community.

00:12:25.680 --> 00:12:29.099
From uplifting others with positive contributions

00:12:29.100 --> 00:12:31.219
to engaging on platforms like Reddit,

00:12:31.220 --> 00:12:35.199
both idealistic and concrete approaches are really valuable.

00:12:35.200 --> 00:12:36.859
We can continue lively debate

00:12:36.860 --> 00:12:38.899
on community forums and discussion boards,

00:12:38.900 --> 00:12:41.619
encouraging a positive and inclusive atmosphere

00:12:41.620 --> 00:12:44.659
for asking questions and seeking help.

00:12:44.660 --> 00:12:48.259
We can leverage social media platforms to share quick tips,

00:12:48.260 --> 00:12:51.479
tricks, or interesting discoveries related to Emacs.

00:12:51.480 --> 00:12:52.579
Those who enjoy writing

00:12:52.580 --> 00:12:54.859
can contribute to blogs and newsletters,

00:12:54.860 --> 00:12:57.499
sharing personal expertise and experiences

00:12:57.500 --> 00:12:59.239
with a larger audience.

00:12:59.240 --> 00:13:02.959
Let's also not underestimate the value of online video,

00:13:02.960 --> 00:13:05.659
as I've said, and learning platforms too.

00:13:05.660 --> 00:13:07.539
Creating and sharing tutorials

00:13:07.540 --> 00:13:10.259
on platforms like YouTube or educational websites

00:13:10.260 --> 00:13:14.019
addresses specific aspects of Emacs and benefits learners,

00:13:14.020 --> 00:13:17.419
while contributing a personal touch.

00:13:17.420 --> 00:13:20.579
Participating in or organizing Emacs-related courses

00:13:20.580 --> 00:13:22.539
also fosters a structured learning

00:13:22.540 --> 00:13:24.259
environment where there's so much room

00:13:24.260 --> 00:13:26.079
for mentorship and support,

00:13:26.080 --> 00:13:29.999
which is valuable for everyone involved.

NOTE Every contribution is valuable

00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:32.579
We can also call on our open source [* free software] values

00:13:32.580 --> 00:13:34.939
and focus on collaborative projects,

00:13:34.940 --> 00:13:38.239
from coding projects where we can contribute and learn

00:13:38.240 --> 00:13:41.019
to building shared documentation and guides

00:13:41.020 --> 00:13:44.339
that compile collective knowledge on specific topics --

00:13:44.340 --> 00:13:46.459
the Emacs Wiki is a great place

00:13:46.460 --> 00:13:49.599
to start and continue that work as well.

00:13:49.600 --> 00:13:51.659
Especially for those who might be less willing

00:13:51.660 --> 00:13:53.099
to put themselves out there,

00:13:53.100 --> 00:13:56.199
it's essential to recognize that every contribution,

00:13:56.200 --> 00:13:59.519
regardless of its scale, adds value to our community.

00:13:59.520 --> 00:14:02.119
Documentation contributions, however small,

00:14:02.120 --> 00:14:04.459
can go a long way. So do translations,

00:14:04.460 --> 00:14:07.379
for those who are able to increase accessibility,

00:14:07.380 --> 00:14:09.539
as well as testing and bug reporting.

00:14:09.540 --> 00:14:11.379
Reporting issues to package maintainers

00:14:11.380 --> 00:14:14.019
in their desired format -- speaking as one myself,

00:14:14.020 --> 00:14:16.819
I appreciate when users give helpful feedback.

00:14:16.820 --> 00:14:20.479
There are options for everybody, big and small.

00:14:20.480 --> 00:14:22.539
Remember, the strength of our community

00:14:22.540 --> 00:14:25.339
lies in its ability to share, collaborate,

00:14:25.340 --> 00:14:29.379
and learn together. Whether through collaborative projects,

00:14:29.380 --> 00:14:32.899
sharing insights on forums, or leveraging social media,

00:14:32.900 --> 00:14:34.659
by embracing these ideas, we can build

00:14:34.660 --> 00:14:40.299
a more connected and empowered Emacs community.

NOTE Conclusion

00:14:40.300 --> 00:14:43.759
Now Emacs is so very personal.

00:14:43.760 --> 00:14:44.939
Those of us who have our own

00:14:44.940 --> 00:14:47.679
carefully manicured configurations understand --

00:14:47.680 --> 00:14:50.859
Emacs molds to our liking and our person.

00:14:50.860 --> 00:14:53.219
Our configurations and use-cases

00:14:53.220 --> 00:14:56.379
are a reflection of our individuality.

00:14:56.380 --> 00:14:59.319
Nonetheless, the richness of our community

00:14:59.320 --> 00:15:04.619
lies in collaboration, sharing, and learning together.

00:15:04.620 --> 00:15:06.099
There's a lot of talk in the community

00:15:06.100 --> 00:15:09.559
about how to ensure Emacs' longevity.

00:15:09.560 --> 00:15:11.139
I agree it's important.

00:15:11.140 --> 00:15:13.819
We care because of passion, excitement,

00:15:13.820 --> 00:15:16.099
and utility. We want to share

00:15:16.100 --> 00:15:19.259
and we want to have others love what we love.

00:15:19.260 --> 00:15:21.099
We also want a stronger community

00:15:21.100 --> 00:15:23.899
that fosters new innovation.

00:15:23.900 --> 00:15:26.539
I used to buy into complaints I'd read online

00:15:26.540 --> 00:15:29.499
that Emacs' defaults are too unapproachable.

00:15:29.500 --> 00:15:33.419
The default color scheme and the font is unappealing.

00:15:33.420 --> 00:15:35.699
Fix that and people will flock.

00:15:35.700 --> 00:15:37.739
Sounds fair, I'd think.

00:15:37.740 --> 00:15:40.639
Turns out, it's not what we need.

00:15:40.640 --> 00:15:42.679
Emacs is bigger than that.

00:15:42.680 --> 00:15:45.779
What we need is like what we've done here this weekend.

00:15:45.780 --> 00:15:49.659
Like EmacsConf. It's the absolute epitome

00:15:49.660 --> 00:15:53.899
of sharing about and caring about Emacs.

00:15:53.900 --> 00:15:56.859
We are here both working to grow our community,

00:15:56.860 --> 00:16:00.139
and to strengthen what we already have.

00:16:00.140 --> 00:16:02.579
We're here because we find joy in Emacs,

00:16:02.580 --> 00:16:05.859
and that joy is amplified by sharing it

00:16:05.860 --> 00:16:07.679
with and among others.

00:16:07.680 --> 00:16:10.219
So let's continue this journey together,

00:16:10.220 --> 00:16:13.459
navigating Emacs with a spirit of collaboration,

00:16:13.460 --> 00:16:17.259
because in unity, we find not just strength

00:16:17.260 --> 00:16:22.059
but the enduring legacy of a tool that we hold very dear.

00:16:22.060 --> 00:16:23.339
Thank you to everybody here

00:16:23.340 --> 00:16:26.499
for being part of this shared adventure.

00:16:26.500 --> 00:16:34.120
Let's go forth and share, together.