Seems like Emacs has always had a presence in the cultural background of online programming—most people might not use it, but they're aware of it and maybe vagu

Seems like Emacs has always had a presence in the cultural background of online programming—most people might not use it, but they're aware of it and maybe vaguely curious—so it takes a relatively small push to generate discussion. The substantial new features in the last couple of releases is enough of a push, especially after a prolonged (perceived?) slowdown in changes.