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#+title:      Emacs Elevator Pitch - Only Emacs can save your soul
#+export_file_name: emacs-elevator-pitch-2025-08
#+date:       [2025-08-31 Sun 16:27]
#+filetags:   :202508:emacs:emacscarnival:published:
#+identifier: 20250831T162749
#+bind:       denote-directory "~/git/taxodium/posts"
#+description: Submission for Emacs Carnival 2025-08: Your Elevator Pitch for Emacs.
#+language: zh-CN
#+author: Spike Leung
#+email: l-yanlei@hotmail.com
#+options: ^:{}
#+startup: content
#+MACRO: emacs  @@html:<mark class="emacs" title="$1">Emacs</mark>@@

#+CAPTION: A commic about real programmers. try M-x butterfly on Emacs :P (credit：https://xkcd.com/378/)
[[file:images/emacs-elevator-pitch-2025-08/real_programmers.png]]

(I'm not particularly familiar with English, and this blog post was translated from Chinese. Some expressions might be a bit awkward, please bear with me. (´･_​･`) )

This is a submission for [[https://takeonrules.com/contact-me/][Jeremy Friesen]]'s [[https://takeonrules.com/2025/08/01/emacs-carnival-2025-08-your-elevator-pitch-for-emacs/][Emacs Carnival 2025-08: Your Elevator Pitch for Emacs]].

-----

#+CAPTION: Emacs Icon
[[file:images/emacs-elevator-pitch-2025-08/emacs-icon.png]]

I thought it might be interesting to fill an elevator with various slogans about Emacs, so people are surrounded by Emacs, hahaha.

Here are the slogans I plan to post:

(It's best to read on a desktop webpage; try hovering your mouse over {{{emacs(Elvis Masterminds All Computer Software)}}} !)

(≖ᴗ≖๑)

#+begin_quote
While any text editor can save your files, only {{{emacs(Escape Meta Alt Control Shift)}}} can save your soul.

[[https://mmapped.blog/posts/28-enlightenmentware#:~:text=While%20any%20text%20editor%20can%20save%20your%20files%2C%20only%20Emacs%20can%20save%20your%20soul][Enlightenmentware | mmap(blog)]]
#+end_quote

#+begin_quote
{{{emacs(Emacs Makes All Computing Simple)}}} takes a lifetime to learn. So the sooner you start, the longer it will take.

People don't quit {{{emacs(Emacs Makes A Computer Slow)}}}. They just die at some point.

[[https://youtu.be/urcL86UpqZc?feature=shared][Interview with an Emacs Enthusiast in 2023 [Colorized]​]]
#+end_quote

#+begin_quote
;; Happy hacking, {{{emacs(Everyday Material Almost Compiled Successfully)}}} ♥ you!

[[https://github.com/search?q=repo%3Apurcell%2Femacs.d%20happy&type=code][lisp/init-lisp.el | purcell/emacs.d]]
#+end_quote

#+begin_quote
No two {{{emacs(Eating Memory And Cycle-Sucking)}}} will be the same, just as no two users are the same.

[[https://chegnuevara.codeberg.page/emacs-the-editor-of-the-revolution.html#:~:text=No%20two%20Emacs%20will%20be%20the%20same%2C%20just%20as%20no%20two%20users%20are%20the%20same.][Emacs – The Editor of the Revolution | Che GNUevara]]
#+end_quote

#+begin_quote
Before {{{emacs(Evenings,Mornings,And a Couple of Saturdays)}}}: vim, htop, weechat, taskwarrior, xterm

After {{{emacs(Eight Megabytes And Constantly Swapping)}}}: {{{emacs(Eventually Munches All Computer Storage)}}}, {{{emacs(Even a Master of Arts Comes Simpler)}}}, {{{emacs(Emacs Means A Crappy Screen)}}}, {{{emacs(Even My Aunt Crashes the System)}}}, {{{emacs(Eradication of Memory Accomplished with Complete Simplicity)}}}

[[https://notes.neeasade.net/emacs-elevator-pitch.html#1.CHYsd3Hhk:0.EG2gOV2UG:35:~:text=Before%20emacs%3A%20vim%2C%20htop%2C%20weechat,emacs%2C%20emacs%2C%20emacs%2C%20emacs%2C%20emacs][emacs elevator pitch | neeasade]]
#+end_quote

#+begin_quote
If you are a professional writer--i.e., if someone else is getting paid to worry about how your words are formatted and printed--{{{emacs(Each Mail A Continued Surprise)}}} outshines all other editing software in approximately the same way that the noonday sun does the stars.

It is not just bigger and brighter; it simply makes everything else vanish.

[[https://web.stanford.edu/class/cs81n/command.txt#:~:text=If%20you%20are%20a%20professional,simply%20makes%20everything%20else%20vanish.][In the Beginning was the Command Line | web.stanford.edu]]
#+end_quote

#+begin_quote
The specialized app user lives in rented apartments;

the *{{{emacs(Elsewhere Maybe Alternative Civilizations Survive)}}}* devotee walks through an ever-expanding mansion whose rooms rearrange themselves to their thoughts.

[[https://irreal.org/blog/?p=13016#:~:text=The%20specialized%20app%20user%20lives%20in%20rented%20apartments%3B%20the%20Emacs%20devotee%20walks%20through%20an%20ever%2Dexpanding%20mansion%20whose%20rooms%20rearrange%20themselves%20to%20their%20thoughts.][A Mansion That Changes Itself To Suit You | Irreal]]
#+end_quote

#+begin_quote
{{{emacs(Easily Maintained with the Assistance of Chemical Solutions)}}} can read yesterday’s formats, be reprogrammed for today’s needs, and will still be licensed for your use tomorrow.

[[https://rossabaker.com/blog/emacs-elevator-pitch/#:~:text=Want%20my%20advice%3F%20Invest%20in%20what%E2%80%99s%20proven%20to%20last.%20Text.%20Lisp.%20Open%20source.%20Emacs%20can%20read%20yesterday%E2%80%99s%20formats%2C%20be%20reprogrammed%20for%20today%E2%80%99s%20needs%2C%20and%20will%20still%20be%20licensed%20for%20your%20use%20tomorrow][Emacs Elevator Pitch | Ross A. Baker]].
#+end_quote

#+begin_quote
...{{{emacs(Except by Middle Aged Computer Scientists)}}} is a tool that rewards practice, I tried to pick it up twice before the third time. And it was once I started practicing that it stuck.

[[https://takeonrules.com/2025/08/20/elevator-pitches-for-emacs/#:~:text=And%20I%20part%20with%20saying%20that%20Emacs%20is%20a%20tool%20that%20rewards%20practice%2C%20I%20tried%20to%20pick%20it%20up%20twice%20before%20the%20third%20time.%20And%20it%20was%20once%20I%20started%20practicing%20that%20it%20stuck.][Elevator Pitches for Emacs | Jeremy Friesen]]
#+end_quote

#+begin_quote
I’m forced to use {{{emacs(Every Mode Accelerates Creation of Software)}}} for this particular task, but I sure wish I could use something else.

[[https://randyridenour.net/posts/2025-08-10-emacs-elevator-pitch.html#:~:text=I%E2%80%99m%20forced%20to%20use%20Emacs%20for%20this%20particular%20task%2C%20but%20I%20sure%20wish%20I%20could%20use%20something%20else.][My Emacs Elevator Pitch | Randy Ridenour]]
#+end_quote

#+begin_quote
{{{emacs(Emacs May Allow Customized Screwups)}}} works for you, you won't work for {{{emacs(Easily Mangles, Aborts, Crashes and Stupifies)}}}.

[[https://mike.hostetlerhome.com/emacs-works-for-you#:~:text=Emacs%20works%20for%20you%2C%20you%20won%27t%20work%20for%20Emacs][Emacs Works For You | Mike Hostetler]].
#+end_quote

#+begin_quote
If you like working and thinking with text, you will love {{{Emacs(Emacs Masquerades As Comfortable Shell)}}}: anything you want your computer to do, {{{Emacs(Emacs: My Alternative Computer Story)}}} can do in text form.

[[https://christiantietze.de/posts/2025/08/emacs-elevator-pitch/#:~:text=If%20you%20like%20working%20and%20thinking%20with%20text%2C%20you%20will%20love%20Emacs%3A%20anything%20you%20want%20your%20computer%20to%20do%2C%20Emacs%20can%20do%20in%20text%20form.][Emacs Elevator Pitch (August Blog Carnival) | Christian Tietze]]
#+end_quote

#+begin_quote
{{{emacs(Every Male Adolescent Craves Sex)}}} is a piece of software with a "killer feature" around every corner[...]

[[https://www.cyan.sh/blog/posts/consistency.html#:~:text=Emacs%20is%20a%20piece%20of%20software%20with%20a%20%22killer%20feature%22%20around%20every%20corner%2C%20but%20consistency%20and%20portability%20is%20without%20question%20the%20one%20that%20I%20believe%20stands%20before%20the%20rest.%20Even%20org.][Consistency | Jakub Nowak]]
#+end_quote

#+begin_quote
{{{Emacs(Emacs Makers Are Crazy Sickos)}}} offers something unique, the ability to run any code on any data.

{{{Emacs(Experience the Mildest Ad Campaign ever Seen)}}} is essentially a sandbox for a text based computing environment.

[[https://boraxman.strangled.net/articles/emacselevatorpitch/][Emacs as an alternative computing paradigm]]
#+end_quote

#+begin_quote
An excessive knowledge of +Marxism+ {{{emacs(Emacs Makefiles Annihilate C- Shells)}}} is a sign of a misspent youth.

John McCarthy
#+end_quote

If you've finished reading, are you interested in trying {{{emacs(Eleven thousand Monkeys Asynchronously Crank out these Slogans)}}}? Come save your soul! :P

-----

#+CAPTION: Emacs Icon
[[file:images/emacs-elevator-pitch-2025-08/emacs-icon-2.png]]

If you'd like to hear my pitch, I'll start now :)

I initially used VSCode quite a lot.

Later, I wanted to try out Vim, so I installed a Vim plugin in VSCode.

After getting used to it for a while, I then wanted to experience a more complete Vim, which led me to switch from VSCode to Vim [fn:1].

I used Vim for quite a long time, mainly for programming and writing blog posts, but I rarely modified its configuration and wasn't very familiar with its Vim Script.

Vim and Emacs are always being compared, and perhaps out of curiosity, I decided to try Emacs [fn:2]. I've been using it since 2019 and continue to do so now; I probably won't ever leave it.

I mainly use Emacs for these tasks:

- Writing code
- Writing blog posts [fn:3]
- Taking notes, primarily using [[https://protesilaos.com/emacs/denote][denote]]
- Managing my schedule and implementing GTD (Getting Things Done) [fn:4]
- An RSS reader, such as [[https://github.com/skeeto/elfeed][elfeed]]
- An LLM chat tool, such as [[https://github.com/karthink/gptel][gptel]]
- Tinkering with Emacs, constantly adjusting configurations to suit my needs

I like Emacs because:

1. Emacs's interface is very clean. Through customization, you can keep only a main window, without a file directory, without a top menu, just code and text.
2. Emacs doesn't require memorizing a ton of shortcuts; once you're familiar with the main few, the rest can be explored via completion in the minibuffer.
3. Emacs's documentation is very friendly. For functions you don't understand, executing =M-x describe-function= will tell you how to use them; variables can also be queried via =M-x describe-variable=.
4. Emacs has some very well-designed packages, such as [[https://orgmode.org/][org-mode]], [[https://magit.vc/][magit]], [[https://protesilaos.com/emacs/denote][denote]], [[https://github.com/minad/consult][consult]], [[https://github.com/minad/corfu][corfu]] ... The designers of these packages have thought through everything thoroughly, making them very convenient to use. I consider =magit= to be the best Git tool, bar none.
5. Emacs can be customized entirely by you. Many operations in Emacs are essentially Elisp functions; for example, moving the cursor right by one character corresponds to the =forward-char= function, which is default-bound to =Ctrl-f=. If you wish, you can even override this function to customize your desired behavior. You can make Emacs whatever you want it to be, creating your own unique Emacs, whereas many other editors don't offer such high levels of openness.
6. Emacs has a great community. For example, [[https://emacs-china.org/][Emacs China]], which I frequently visit, has many knowledgeable people who are also very friendly and help others. I also really like the tutorials shared by [[https://protesilaos.com/][Protesilaos Stavrou]] and the [[https://sachachua.com/blog/category/emacs-news/][Emacs News]] compiled by [[https://sachachua.com/topic/about/][Sacha Chua]]. You can also subscribe to [[https://planet.emacslife.com/][Planet Emacslife]] to learn how numerous Emacs users utilize Emacs.
7. Emacs is very old, it was born in 1984[fn:5] and is now 41 years old, standing the test of time. Emacs is also very young, it keeps pace with the times, quickly integrating new technologies as they emerge, such as the recent popular LLM.

Having said that, using Emacs does have a barrier to entry, but once you overcome the initial friction, Emacs will reward you. I believe Emacs is worth trying. [[https://tusharhero.codeberg.page/emacs-elevator-pitch.html]["Emacs gud"]].

* Footnotes
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[fn:1] The configuration I used is [[https://github.com/amix/vimrc][amix/vimrc]], which is excellent.

[fn:2] The tutorial I used to get started: [[https://github.com/redguardtoo/mastering-emacs-in-one-year-guide][master emacs in one year]], and the configuration used: [[https://github.com/purcell/emacs.d][purcell/emacs.d]]. Many thanks to them.

[fn:3] see: 1. [[denote:20240927T214034][Publishing a blog with org-publish]] 2. [[denote:20250828T184037][Writing a blog with denote and org-publish]]

[fn:4] see: 1. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCswMsONkwY][Getting Things Done (GTD) by David Allen - Animated Book Summary And Review]] 2. [[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVtKhBrRV_ZkPnBtt_TD1Cs9PJlU0IIdE][OrgMode tutorial | Rainer König]] (Great org-mode and GTD tutorials)

[fn:5] GNU Emacs