> Good.  Now what exactly should be the standard Microsoft shortcuts for the 
> following features:
> - go to the start of sentence
> - go to the end of sentence

There aren't any because features like that are not common across 
applications.  Things like open, save, undo, close, copy, paste etc are very 
common in all applications whether they are text editors, spreadsheets, 
paint programs, 3D modellers, etc, so the keyboard short cuts are specified 
in the MS style guides and you should follow them.

> Yeah, things quickly get out of control when there's so much friggin' 
> useful functionality and so few standard shortcuts...

Why? If there isn't a standard for your particular command then you are free 
to use something else (unless it is a reserved shortcut like Ctrl-S, but 
assuming your app has save functionality this will be already used).

> Funny.  It's an OpenGL application with a single OpenGL custom 
> cross-platform graphical interface.  Reminds you of anything?

Yeh, the nightmare of trying to use Unix apps at University where things 
like Delete and Backspace did different things in different apps!  I wonder 
how many people use Blender on both Linux and Windows regularly, compared to 
those that only use it on Windows?

>> Pressing Space to get the context menu and right button to select, using 
>> some file open/save mechanism from the DOS ages, using Ctrl-W to save, 
>> WTF is that about? - it's a horrendous application running on Windows in 
>> terms of the UI.
>
> Why should it use DOS mechanisms when it predates DOS?

Dunno, it's beyond me why they use some crappy text based folder navigator 
that takes 20 years to get to "My Documents", Windows has a standard open 
file dialog that is orders of magnitudes better (it includes shortcuts to 
common and recent folders, plus does the folder order the correct way ie 
starting with Desktop and not a list of drives), why on Earth don't they use 
that? It's like 2 lines of code to call it - just completely idiotic not to 
use it.

> The fact is that Blender and Emacs are platforms in themselves.  This is 
> good because it right away requires the user to learn it and think in the 
> software own terms rather than try to pathetically use it as just another 
> underpowered notepad, eternally relying on copy-paste and Ctrl+S -- the 
> assembly of text editing -- without knowing any better.

But if every app decided they were "platforms in themselves" you end up 
never remembering how to use any program.  Really what is the disadvantage 
with Ctrl-S being save instead of Ctrl-W in Blender, apart from the fact 
that "it's always been like that"?  At least give the option to switch 
between Standard Windows interface and traditional Blender.

> Or the user can simply sigh, turn behind and continue using his lowly 
> tools.

Umm, I take it you've never used any commercial 3D software designed for 
Windows?  The first port of Pro/Engineer (commercial 3D CAD software) to 
Windows was just like Blender is today, everyone complained and hated it 
apart from a few die-hard supporters.  Today Pro/E looks and acts like a 
proper Windows application, getting far more approval and take-up from the 
industry than the earlier versions that were widely criticised.

I guess the difference is that the Blender developers have no incentive to 
sell more copies.  If it was a commercial operation someone with 
half-a-brain would demand that a default option for standard Windows 
behaviour and dialogs be added, otherwise nobody is going to take it 
seriously apart from the die-hard supporters.

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