FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., March 8, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- There was a time when the only way to edit a document was through a text-based, often cumbersome, command-based editor. These editors came with a steep learning curve, too, but it was the only option, so people learned to adapt. Unix systems, vi (pronounced "vee-eye") and emacs emerged as the leading editors, earning a hardcore, almost cultist, following of devotees.
"You'd think people would switch to WYSIWYG editors, which are far easier to use," said Greg Poulos, president of Geekcheat.com, a web site specializing in vi and emacs technical reference charts printed on novel items like coffee mugs. "But you have to understand that while vi and emacs might be cumbersome to the newbie, they're available on virtually every computing platform." Poulos said that vi and emacs come standard on every derivative of Unix, which make them common on many platforms. "Furthermore, a recent study revealed over 20 clones of vi that run on over half a dozen different non-Unix platforms. For example, many geeks these days are running Lemmy, which runs on Microsoft Windows platforms. While maintaining the original vi command set, Lemmy incorporates common Windows features, like cut and paste, which make it even easier to use."
The cultist aspect of vi and emacs has been perpetuated in the online community for years, according to Poulos. "Vi and emacs users are very loyal to their respective camps, and each would not be caught dead using the others' editor. Debates and arguments continue to this day, rehashing the pros and cons of each editor." Poulos added that while most vi and emacs users stand their ground, they quickly join together in the face of a WYSIWIG editor, like Microsoft Notepad. "All things WYSIWIG are evil to vi and emacs users, and they'll gladly gang up on poor, unsuspecting Notepad users to expound upon the weaknesses they see in such editors."
Poulos doesn't see any end to vi and emacs use any time soon. "There are new geeks being bred every moment, honing their chops on vi and emacs. And they're all over the world. At Geekcheat.com, our popular vi reference coffee mug has been selling steadily for over five years in countries like Germany and Australia. These editors are going to be around for a long time to come."
For more information, contact Greg Poulos at gpoulos@geekcheat.com, or at www.geekcheat.com. While there, enjoy a good game of the classic text adventure Zork, because, according to Poulos, "I think geeks just like to type."