... , though I use it exclusively as a text editor and steer clear of its other functionalities
This is no way to use emacs.
I think it's great more people are using emacs, but there are optimal tools for everything. For programming languages such as C/Python/etc, emacs is quite powerful because you can bind it to compilers and point out syntax errors inside, have bindings to tag definitions in the depths of sources, and the ability to run the debugger and follow the source with it. But the op is using emacs for editing raw HTML, which I think would be more of a drag for the programmer, and better off using a more modern editor that supports HTML and web centric features.
His mention about M-x is the only way to access functionality is wrong. By default it is, but you can always add new key bindings to all the functions available, or write your own. If you aren't doing these already, you are severely underusing emacs (to the point it may hinder you instead of help you).
And he mentions the lameness of the .emacs file, but the biggest upside of it is, one can do all the worlds customization there and take with you where ever you go, that's the real power of it.
This is no way to use emacs.
I think it's great more people are using emacs, but there are optimal tools for everything. For programming languages such as C/Python/etc, emacs is quite powerful because you can bind it to compilers and point out syntax errors inside, have bindings to tag definitions in the depths of sources, and the ability to run the debugger and follow the source with it. But the op is using emacs for editing raw HTML, which I think would be more of a drag for the programmer, and better off using a more modern editor that supports HTML and web centric features.
His mention about M-x is the only way to access functionality is wrong. By default it is, but you can always add new key bindings to all the functions available, or write your own. If you aren't doing these already, you are severely underusing emacs (to the point it may hinder you instead of help you).
And he mentions the lameness of the .emacs file, but the biggest upside of it is, one can do all the worlds customization there and take with you where ever you go, that's the real power of it.
For any new emacs users, I highly suggest printing and hanging this reference card somewhere nearby http://mentoring.csua.berkeley.edu/files/RefCards/emacs_22_r...
And http://www.emacswiki.org
Long live emacs.