You're right, unless you C-s or C-v it into a split (which I do pretty often). When I was first migrating from TextMate, the default behavior seemed like a bug

You're right, unless you C-s or C-v it into a split (which I do pretty often). When I was first migrating from TextMate, the default behavior seemed like a bug. Why would you routinely want to open a buffer in two different windows? Why wouldn't you want the editor to find your already-opened file in the labyrinth of splits and tabs you've opened? Now, partially due to this behavior, I tend to see large lattices of open windows and tabs and splits as a sign that I'm getting unfocused, and try to be better about closing splits as soon as I don't need them, and avoid tabs altogether. That splits should be transient seems more vim-like.