[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlZXd4VqbI8][Talk at EmacsConf22]]
This is an experiment to setup an Emacs Buddy mentoring to make Emacs easier to learn. This means you can have an experienced somebody to periodically contact for your Emacs struggles. See below section for more.
Here a list of people available as buddies:
| Name | Summary | Useful Links | |-------------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------| | Andrea | I use vanilla Emacs with an Org Mode literate configuration. | https://ag91.github.io | | | I like to automate boring tasks with Emacs Lisp. | | |-------------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------| | Justin | I cobble together many packages and have written some org-mode extensions. | https://justin.abrah.ms/dotfiles/emacs.html | | | Happy to help guide some new folks around. | | |-------------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------| | Jeremy | I hack on vanilla Emacs with a focus on note taking and software development | https://takeonrules.com | | | I’m a veteran programmer new-ish to Emacs | | |-------------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------| | Karthik | I maintain a few packages on MELPA, and occasionally write about Emacs here: | https://karthinks.com/tags/emacs | | | I live in Emacs, and have been using it since 2005. Not a programmer by trade. | | |-------------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------| | Ranjeeth | I use vanilla Emacs to manage my personal finances, programming, | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjkfxwk0EQI-ovUh8tXdX5A | | | org-mode for tracking and planning, org-roam for research. | https://github.com/ranjeethmahankali | |-------------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------| | Seba | I am a software developer, using vanilla Emacs since 2017ish. Package author. | https://github.com/sebasmonia | | | I use Emacs for C#, Python, Common Lisp and light note taking. | | |-------------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------| | Phil | Emacs user and hacker since <OMG I'm old>. Escapee from lead "enterprise" | https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/PhilHudson | | | development. Casual contributor to Emacs packages and community forums. | | |-------------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------| | Alessandro | I am happily learning vanilla Emacs. I use it for C/C++ development, | https://github.com/bertulli | | | and org mode for writing prose and taking notes. | | | | I am still learning, but I'm happy to help newbies like everyone of us once was. | | |-------------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------| | Ihor | I use a heavily customized vanilla Emacs. Mostly using Org mode for research and | https://github.com/yantar92 | | | as personal GTD system. I am contributing to Org mode project and thus speak | | | | Elisp. I also use Emacs to manage email (via =notmuch=), read RSS feeds (=elfeed=), | | | | read books/articles in PDF (=pdf-tools=), and track my finances (=ledger-mode=). | | |-------------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------| | Tony | I'm a mathematician and Haskell programmer who lives inside of vanilla Emacs. | https://tony-zorman.com/ | | | I've written a few MELPA packages, and occasionally blog about Emacs. | | |-------------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------| | Christian | I'm an independent Mac software developer and organize myself in Emacs. | https://christiantietze.de | | | I write about all things Zettelkasten in Emacs for my blogs. | https://zettelkasten.de | | | Using =notmuch= for email, so I'm moving a lot of tasks into Emacs. | | |-------------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------| | Andrew | I'm a software developer using vanilla Emacs since about 2017. | https://github.com/andyjda/ | | | I use it mostly to program, professionally and as a hobby, and as a note-taking tool. | | |-------------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------| | George | I've used Emacsen since before GNU (starting on TECO/TOPS20), | [[http://git.galthub.com:3000/gmj/home.public.emacs.d/src/master/.emacs.d/george.org][George's literate Emacs configuration]] | | | but let's get one thing straight, nobody every "arrives" in Emacs. | | | | I'm here to learn as well. Emacs and Org-mode are the base of my grand plan | | | | to integrate infosec, hiking, Latin, philosophy, TODO lists..... | | |-------------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------| | Robert | My main areas of expertise are: emoji, Unicode, some Org Mode, Gnus, | | | | Emacs internals (networking/subrpocess), documentation. | | | | I wonʼt claim to be the worldʼs greatest elisp programmer, | | | | but I can normally help people out with the basics. | | |-------------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------| | David | I've been using Emacs for various tasks for 18 years | https://www.youtube.com/@davidotoole3296/videos | | | and would be happy to help out people of any skill level. | | |-------------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------| | Yi @ London | "The Emacs guy" behind cooperate firewall so my rule is getting things done with | http://yitang.uk | | | simple tools and few external dependencies. The same rule applies when it comes | | | | down to personal usage. | | | | Recently have been selective and thoughtful about what I use. Want to become a | | | | mature Emacs user: have a deep understanding of Emacs itself and the core packages, | | | | and most importantly, becomes the master of Emacs, not the slave. | | | | Willing to buy you a coffee at any time to discuss "how to utilise Emacs to | | | | become a better learner." Two if you are a quant as well. | | |-------------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------| | Y.K. | I've been a software developer for 20 years. I use Spacemacs. | https://ykgoon.com/ | | | Code within emacs; heavy org-mode user. | https://github.com/ykgoon | |-------------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------| | Alex | Emacs user since GNU Emacs 18, 30+ years ago. Occasional code submitter (see a bug, | https://abochannek.github.io/ | | | fix a bug) and always looking for a chance to spread Emacs knowledge. Former full- | https://github.com/abochannek | | | time computer historian. Heavy Gnus and Org Mode user! | | |-------------+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------------| | Slavek | I'd be happy to show my config or help you with yours on an audio-video call. | https://slawomir-grochowski.com/ | | | PHP Developer. I live in plain text. Emacs & org-mode user for live since 2019. | |
If you want to contact one of the buddies above, ping me at [[mailto:andrea-dev@hotmail.com][my email address]] and I will get you in touch.
Further information: https://ag91.github.io/blog/2022/02/23/would-you-like-an-emacs-buddy-i-can-help/
** The idea in more detail :PROPERTIES: :CREATED: [2022-03-02 Wed 18:46] :ID: d4c7ae2a-1f22-48be-9fe6-6f290986ec04 :END:
TL;DR: I see the buddy as a companion that you can have a creative chat and that will try to help you to achieve Emacs enlightenment, not your personal problem solver. (And I am not concerned about scalability, because it is about creating a personal interaction through our commonality: enjoying Emacs.)
This initiative is about making your learning of Emacs more personal. An example of interaction I wish for:
EmacsUserLookingForBuddy: I am a physiotherapist, I struggle keeping track of my clients and they told me Org Mode is a great tool for that. I started with Emacs tutorial, but now how can I handle my clients??
EmacsBuddy: cool! You can find a great Org Mode tutorial here and there is also a Reddit channel there. I can help you better if you tell me some more about what is your struggle with clients? For example, you struggle keeping track of communication or timetable or ....? By the way, I got a back pain: any chance you have a trick for that?! -- continues --
So for me a buddy should nudge new users towards Emacs enlightenment focusing on the why they started using Emacs. A forum or a mailing list is more about solving a particular problem you have: the solution of such problems should be visible to everybody and fit a public forum. (Actually a great buddy would show their partner when is appropriate to move a conversation from private to a public channel!)
If I use Emacs to keep track of my weird hobby, I may find it helpful to get the point of view of my buddy on how to make the best out of my editor for that. And I can also just start chatting about something totally unrelated to the problem because I am enjoying the conversation.
Ideally you can make friends with the excuse!