I suppose I'm officially an "Emacs User" now...

... since I have started hiting things like `C-c C-c` and `C-y` in Google Docs and elsewhere, and then find myself surprised (and a little annoyed) that the right thing didn't happen. It's interesting that it has taken several years, or perhaps that it has taken me switching to mu4e as my email client (last few weeks), in addition to my GTD system which has been in org-mode for at least 2 years now.

Sometimes I hit C-x C-s out of muscle memory and after the code breaks I realize it was because I cut the whole line with C-x before saving

Heh. Welcome to the club. :)

I've done this, but IMO the worst is when you hit C-w in a web browser.

I'm doing that after one month of emacs. (And I also consider myself an official Emacs/Org mode user!)

Or hitting C-n to go down several lines in an email I'm writing in a web browser... Then ALL the Firefox windows pop up!

Gaah! Made me do it. C-S-t to the rescue.

I’m the opposite, I only know evil bindings! Also ctrl g to get myself out of trouble if something goes awry.

Could you elaborate on how you setup your GTD? I use that system in Apple Reminders for personal and Microsoft To-Do for work, so I’m fairly familiar, but curious of how you approached it in emacs/org-mode. :) I think there is a System Crafters video on it? So if it’s too much to explain, and that’s what you watched, I’ll rewatch it.

The real reason emacs is considered a kitchen sink. No one could get any work done in other tools because of those pesky key-bindings, they simply wrote a solution in emacs instead :D

Same, I feel all great using vim in terminals now until I hit something like `SPC b k` haha. Evil mode is amazing.

I followed SystemCrafters videos for setting up mu4e and org-roam... really REALLY useful presentations! I'll explain gladly. At first, I way overcomplicated things by trying to automate too much. I had org-mode tracking links between actions and projects using tags, and about two dozen capture templates... over the last 2 years since doing a training course with a local GTD training provider I've realized some things and greatly simplified my system, and thereby made my life much easier. So here is what I do currently. The first thing I think to realize is that there is a key, common element that ties together your work system and your personal system. That key component is yourself - I recommend you consider simplifying your life by combining your two systems into one, since the point of both are to give you peace of mind that you're tracking everything. I have one main file called mygtd.org that contains some key headings, and some cruft besides. The key headings are: ``` * Inbox * Projects * Next Actions * Waiting For * Agendas ``` I have a capture template for new inbox items, so Inbox can look like this. I could probably remove the timestamp, it's a bit redundant as I end up just deleting these within a day or two. ``` * Inbox ** THING Check out Netstumbler [2022-02-03 Thu] ** PROCESSED Make email be local [2022-02-03 Thu] ** THING Batteries for label printer [2022-02-03 Thu] ``` I have a capture template for Projects, Projects could look like this: ``` * Projects ** PROJECT [2021-04-23 Fri] Body weight is under control ** PROJECT [2021-11-08 Mon] Pihole is working once more - Luno credit check ads are coming through [2021-11-08 Mon] It seems to be booting up, but not connecting to the network after this morning's loadshedding outage [2021-11-08 Mon] ** PROJECT [2022-01-21 Fri] Oculus is sold for cash ** PROJECT [2022-02-02 Wed] PM recruited to join our team in April ``` I have capture templates set up for actions, one template per context. ``` * Next Actions ** At Office *** TODO Review contents of storage room for things to sell or e-cycle [2021-09-06 Mon] *** DONE Go through all the boxes and decide what needs to go for recycling [2021-09-18 Sat] *** DONE Complete setting up the Chromeboxes with their new network ports [2022-01-14 Fri] *** DONE Measure existing ladder [2022-02-28 Mon] ** Errands [0/11] *** TODO Reserve the first Wingfeather book at redacted library [2022-01-10 Mon] *** DONE Take DC UPS connector cable to redactedcomputershop, ask them for one with a smaller plug [2022-01-14 Fri] ``` I have a capture template for Waiting For items, examples: ``` * Waiting For ** WAITING Dan the Book man send me an invoice [[mu4e:msgid:87h78nwegm.fsf@gmail.com][Re: Looking for great books of the western world]] [2022-02-25 Fri] ** RECEIVED redactedpackage maintainer respond to my [[linky][support query]] [2022-02-27 Sun] ** RECEIVED Doctor redacted respond to my [[mu4e:msgid:875yp2st40.fsf@gmail.com][request RE Covid booster shot]] [2022-02-25 Fri] ``` Lastly, `* Agendas` subheadings is each the name of a person or regularly recurring forum that I need an agenda for, with bulletlist items for the actual agendas. I don't have a capture template for that, as it would take too much time to maintain I think. My list of agenda "targets" doesn't change a lot, but there are many of them and they DO change over time. In addition to this I have a journal.org that is a `datetree` file, and populated exclusively by means of a datetree capture template. VERY useful for quickly opening a place to snap down some notes during a meeting, or while thinking through some issue. I have a `checklists` folder, by far the most important checklist in there is `weekly-review.org`. While doing my weekly reviews, I have that open in a small buffer on the side to make sure I can find my place easily again if I get interrupted. I do have some higher level checklists that I use during monthly review and so on, but the heart of it is above. The absolute most important thing, that runs like a thread of gold through all my GTD experience is this: `You're probably overcomplicating it, make it simpler.` I say that to myself - even in writing this, I've noticed 3-4 pieces of unnecessary cruft that I can remove without losing any functionality.

I think you may be right! Keeping your hands on the keyboard may sound like a micro optimization - but it is there in the background, making you faster all. the. time. Slowing down to grab the mouse becomes a chore.

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Programs that use GNU readline lead to reinforcing those habits too.

Whaat - no way, that's going to be handy at some point for sure.

Or C-s in a terminal that doesnt notify that its been STOPped (like konsole does!)

Now if you set up EXWM you can use it to remap those keys to match your muscle memory ;)

I've found that an issue when using Overleaf, because I use it with vim keybindings (I use emacs with evil, I'm too used to vim's modality). C-x in vim decrements a number, and C-s in Overleaf saves, so that still compiles, but the result will probably not be what was expected.

I use EXWM's `exwm-input-set-local-simulation-keys` to make some basic Emacs keys available in browsers so C-y actually works in my Google Docs.

Linux desktop environments have been doing that forever.

That's why you switch to eshell ;) /s

You can also use Stumpwm, which has what it calls remapped-keys too!

.. let me quickly cut that text from a text box in Firefox .. hits `C-w`.

Thank you for such a thorough reply. I will certainly review as I try to build my system up. I see your point in keeping it all under one GTD, but it’s very difficult when you work with 3 different OS’s in a day, and have CCI rules to follow (for work). I have Linux as my main PC, macOS as my laptop, and Windows for my work laptop. Apple doesn’t play well with others. And, I can’t really sync work stuff in with my personal due to confidentialities. Because I assume you are syncing this in a git repo, or some sort of cloud?

I use qutebrowser and have remapped all the key bindings to be emacs-like. It's wonderful

Yeah my org files sit in a Dropbox synced folder, which lets me use orgzly on Android to e.g. look at my Errands list when I'm out and about. A lot of how I've customized my system to fit my life so well, is in regularly taking a step back and reviewing what's working & what's not working. The people giving the course I attended were supremely useful in this regard - I've written them about a dozen emails in the last 2 years, 90% of the time just explaining my problem to them in writing led directly to the solution I needed. Nowadays I still occasionally write them an email, but then I often end up converting the whole wall of text to a "hey how are you!" kind of email :)

The difference is that macOS uses Super (aka Cmd) for system key bindings, so Control is mostly free and basically all Emacs bindings work across the whole system. In Linux, a ton of system functionality is bound to Control too so there are conflicts. E.g. C-n in Firefox on Linux will be new window (yes I know you can hack around it) but because that would be s-n under macOS, C-n is just next line as you’d expect. It’s actually quite nice.

Tell that to my complex unix pipelines ;)

Sometimes try use C-x C-f for change file when use Vim in the computer of others.

Also some annoying keys combos are C-s and C-p in Chrome and probably other browsers as well. Before switching on guru-mode in emacs I didn't even know what the print menu of a browser looked like.

Remind me what that does

I get super confused when I hit c-r and search doesn’t go backward. M-> and c-r combo is so muscle memory.

Came here to say this; absolutely changed my life. There's no way I'd ever consider going back to the old days; it'd be like not having indoor plumbing.

Was just thinking about this too. And then it gets *really* annoying when something like Word on Mac disables them.

What is your inbox tool when you’re out and about? Or will orgzly let you add to the files?

What bindings? On my macbook air, the following don't work C-u undo C-w Kill from the cursor to the previous whitespace. C-y yank And I don't have access to any M- commands because those are tied up with command ⌘ functions. I do have a few C-a begin line C-e end line in RES/Reddit this opens an editor, but then works normally C-n next line C-p previous line C-f forward char C-b back char C-k kill OPT-LEFT/RIGHT word left/right OPT-UP/DOWN begin/end of line M-UP/DOWN begin/end of file M-LEFT/RIGHT begin/end of line

I see your post like this, which I don't think is what you intended: https://i.imgur.com/BuaSoF8.png Add double spaces to the end of those lines so markdown renders those lines with return characters at the end of each line ''' <=== two spaces at end of line * Proj 1 <=== two spaces at end of line * Proj 2 <=== two spaces at end of line ''' etc. Without those spaces, markdown renders those lines like this: ''' * Proj 1 * Proj 2 ''' ___ EDIT: Changes for clarity.

I'm discovering all sorts of new key combos in Chrome! With RES, C-e brings up a nice editor :)

It kills text in a region. Its mostly just Emacs terminology for cut, think of C-x in regular programs.

The Meta commands are actually under C-M. But yes, undo and yank are a the ones that won’t work. You’ll need to use system bindings for those unfortunately.

In the browser it will close the current tab. You can get it back with C-S-t

Maybe it will, but I think that's too complex. I'd have to first find the right file in orgzly, then find the right place, then type my note. I wish I could send you a photo - I have an A7 sized writing pad that is easy to tear pages off of. So I look like a bit of a nerd, walking everywhere with my notebook and pen - but it absolutely works a charm. Each page ends up containing a single inbox item, so after I've processed it I just crumple the page and throw it in the bin. The electronic option I have is an Android app called `Braintoss`, which basically lets you fire things at your email address. It has 3 big buttons, one each for `voice note`, `camera` and `text note`. Whichever you choose gets attached / converted to an email and sent to your configured email address. The paper pad is better. So much, that I've stopped buying shirts that don't have a breast pocket. Because the breast pocket is the most convenient way to carry the notebook and pen.

Could you use more words please? I'm not following.

For me the most annoying thing is to hit C-w when I wish to cut text in Firefox when I have almost finished writing a comment on Reddit :D (It closes my tab). I have now learned to be careful when copy/pasting text in ffx.

Sure! I've edited my reply above for clarity. You're not seeing that on your end? What platform / app are you using?

C-M-f does something funky with windowing C-M-b does nothing I've tried some other C-M-key combinations with various editing effects or system actions. Nothing predictable though. So I wouldn't say "basically all Emacs bindings work across the whole system". I'd say, "a few of the emacs basic cursor movement and editing bindings work in many MacOS apps".

I know what kill is. I just dont use default emacs bindings, so I didn't recall what it is

Ah ok.

On macOS, I use Karabiner to swap Cmd and Alt while on Emacs. Works for me. I used to miss Home key for moving to beginning of lines, but C-a is way better. I miss C-a when I'm on Windows.

Ya I use to use that (when I was using more hardware (notebook, pen etc). It was pretty effective, and allowed me to “disconnect” (turn off phone) without having to worry about missing an inbox. That Braintoss is a great idea. I really like that. I will have to check it. Anyway, I went away from field notes because I like being able to set location based reminders, use Siri, etc. easier to jot an idea while driving with Siri than field notes. What’re your thoughts on that?

If you use emacs-plus or emacs-mac you can actually do that in emacs directly. (when (eq system-type 'darwin) (setq mac-option-modifier 'super mac-command-modifier 'meta)) This has the benefit of keeping Cmd-Tab where it is, which I find convenient.

Oh yes, actually! There's even a customize option for that. I used Karabiner for something else.

Location based reminders sound like a gimmick to me. I.e. fun to play with, and maybe intellectually stimulating but delegates too much to the computer. If I'm going to be responsible for things in my life then I'm going to insist on being in control of those things (as opposed to handing decision making off to a computer). Taking notes on paper while driving is a non-event: just wait 3 minutes until you stand still at the next 4-way stop or red light, and quickly jot down a keyword or two. I find voice recognition systems are far more fiddly than paper, and more distracting and hence more dangerous. That could just be my accent though, I'm not a native English speaker.

Oh dear! No that's not what I intended at all (and not what I see on my end... weird!). I've added spaces like you suggested, is that any better?

`ffx` being perilously close to `ffs`, which is what I would be saying in that case...

That didn't do it. Huh. *Evidently*, one has to add an additional LF at the end of your list. This works: ``` * Inbox * Projects * Next Actions * Waiting For * Agendas <--- additional empty line here ``` Here's the result: ``` * Inbox * Projects * Next Actions * Waiting For * Agendas ``` Yup, that looks good to me. I'm not sure why I missed that before. May I ask, what are you using that you cannot see the issue? [EDIT: I think it probably works a little different in new reddit vs. old reddit, maybe. I'm using old reddit.]

> the worst is when you hit C-w in a web browser. The same applies for so many other applications too. Especially if text editing is involved -- any time I'm forced to edit text in LibreOffice, everything is in peril :)

I've no idea what old reddit was like, it's just always looked like this for me. Further, I use FireFox on a Linux machine... but I think you're right, it's far more likely to be different rendering engines on Reddit's side.