The idea for this post started today when I saw in #emacs-til on libera.chat:

  • [2026-01-17 22:30:19] <quelt> TIL emacs is just not for old boomers lol
  • [2026-01-17 22:31:53] <bremner> also for younger boomers
  • [2026-01-17 22:33:10] <quelt> haha that’s me!
  • [2026-01-17 22:33:17] <quelt> lil baby baby boomer
  • [2026-01-17 23:25:18] <hodapp> the Youth of Today love Emacs
  • [2026-01-17 23:25:29] <hodapp> I asked one of them back in… uh…
  • [2026-01-17 23:25:31] <hodapp> 1991?

So I did a websearch for the youngest emacs user, and, the websearch results couldn’t help but all be about how old emacs users are.

So I ask Lemmy…

Who is the youngest emacs user?

[And no, before anyone thinks otherwise, that image is not real. I just put that together for whimsical illustration, from an image search or 3, with a relevant comment, an image from an article about a 2 year old who self-taught the alphabet, and an image of an emacs welcome screen pasted together with the help of the GIMP.]

Who is the youngest emacs user?

Anyone younger than 40? In 20s? Teens?? Younger??!

  • nesc@lemmy.cafeEnglish
    7·
    19 days ago

    I’ve started in twenties, now in early thirties. I think it’s just niche no matter old or young.

  • xianjam@programming.devEnglish
    4·
    18 days ago

    I didn’t use emacs much until around 2014, but I remember playing the Emacs Adventure around 2006 when I was 11.

    • Digit@lemmy.wtfOPEnglish
      4·
      18 days ago

      I didn’t use emacs much until around 2014,

      Heh. I started using emacs in 2014, when an irc friend who had been using it for a decade were moving parts of their 10 year old config to a new one (iirc, they were moving to org-mode config), and then in 2024, I did the same, moved my 10 year old config over to an org-mode config.

      Anyhoo,

      but I remember playing the Emacs Adventure around 2006 when I was 11.

      1. Can we count that as the youngest yet?
    • Digit@lemmy.wtfOPEnglish
      1·
      18 days ago

      Yeah, I saw that (~ my guess, he’s about 40), and it lands on a similar sentiment as this guy (~ my guess about 30).

  • Digit@lemmy.wtfOPEnglish
    1·
    18 days ago

    Some other young ones in irc:

    • [2026-01-18 17:01:33] <rensenwxre> I’ve used emacs since I was 13/14, 20 now
    • [2026-01-18 17:02:11] <rensenwxre> My girlfriend also used it for a solid while, she’s 22
    • [2026-01-18 17:02:19] <hodapp> so I used Emacs when I was ~15-16 but really never learned it well, then didn’t touch it for 7-8 years

    11’s still the number to beat, if we’re counting “playing the Emacs Adventure” (which of course we should).

    13/14’s a solid young use.

    I think we’re starting to show emacs is not just for “old brain”.