[throwaway290]

FWIW you can use Neovim like Vim with your existing config, without any of the other stuff. That made the switch easy for me. Of course this means you'd rely on Neovim maintainers honoring that compatibility in future...

[massysett]

One of the things I really like about Vim is how it maintains compatibility with Vi. The manual obsessively points out features Not in vi. It retains some ill-advised things like :Print because Vi had them. Ancient platforms still work, supposedly.

I care about this not because I used Vi (I never have) but because it’s less likely that some new Vim with a newer distribution release will do something I don’t expect. Vim does want I need it to do. I don’t want it to change.

Neovim on the other hand exists entirely to change things. That’s all well and good. I just don’t want it. My editor is complete.

[throwaway290]

Uhm if you read my comment it is specifically about how nvim doesn't change the preexisting behavior of vim. And if I were to believe you then compatibility with vim means compatibility with vi

[massysett]

I did read your comment word for word: “Of course this means you'd rely on Neovim maintainers honoring that compatibility in future.”

I knew that maintaining compatibility was extremely important to Bram Moolenaar. I also knew that Neovim made a big deal out of removing “cruft” and old stuff they decided no one needed. I preferred Bram’s values.

[throwaway290]

and I responded to your "exists to change things". Vim also exists to change things, otherwise it wouldn't exist if Vi was enough. but it is compatible and from my experience nvim is compatible with vim.

Having to rely on them for that is a downside, but I guess you are free to fork nvim if they abandon that promise...