'vi' is driving me crazy

[Alma J Wetzker]

Bill Campbell wrote:
> On Mon, Dec 27, 2004, Net Llama! wrote:
> 
>>On 12/27/2004 12:45 PM, A. Khattri wrote:
>>
>>>On Mon, 27 Dec 2004, Net Llama! wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>Sorry, but i've never heard anyone use the expression 'yank a line' to
>>>>perform the operation that hitting Y accomplishes.  D is about the only
>>>>key that seems to have a logical correspondance with its operation, and
>>>>i'm convinced that was a fluke, based on all the other utterly
>>>>unintuitive vi operators.
>>>
>>>
>>>Many vi manuals, HOW-TOs and help files talk about "yanking" a line - I
>>>remember it from when I learned vi from a crib sheet.
>>>
>>>Many versions of vi even say "yanked" at the bottom of the screen when
>>>doing it.
>>>
>>
>>My point exactly.  its a vi-ism, and isn't untuitive to someone who 
>>hasn't used vi before.
> 
> 
> On the other hand, vi is found on pretty much every *nix system on the
> planet while other editors aren't.  Taking the time to learn it, and even
> be comfortable with it can make life a lot easier if one has to work on
> multiple systems.
> 
> There aren't all that many things to learn to do the basic things to edit
> text files (which is about all the ``friendly'' editors can do -- basic
> things).  The mode problem isn't a problem if one just hits the ESC key a
> couple of times -- it will then be in command mode.
> 
> Bill

<analogy>
Since Windoze runs on so many systems there really is no point in ignoring it. 
  Just get used to it and you will hardly know when you are running it.  Sure 
there are other choices, but why bother.  After using Windoze a decade or 
more, you will never think twice about running it.  You will just get your 
work done and never notice things like an unintuitive, bloated, crash-prone 
interface.
</analogy>

I grew up on micro's and loved IBM's Personal Editor series.  When I started 
doing more diverse jobs I made my peace with vi and learned to do simple 
editing jobs.  When I moved to linux, I learned to tolerate vi.  I will never 
learn to do significant things like programming on vi, it is neither easy to 
learn or easy to use.

I understand all the apologist's arguments about using it, but they sound 
exactly like the arguments for sticking with Windoze.  I thought that linux 
was all about choice and finding better ways of doing things, yet there is 
this intense reluctance to even question the use of vi by linux's adherents. 
I find the irony quite fun.

     -- Alma