[gizmo686]

> How will it help me figure out curl's command line options?

Try typing "curl", the output (on Ubuntu 12.10) is: "curl: try 'curl --help' or 'curl --manual' for more information"

>How will it help me not having to remember whether tool X wants "command [files] [options]" or "command [options] [files]" or either?

Both are almost always excepted, but command [options] [files] is standard. Also, if you do something wrong, you are often given an explanation as to what you did. Also `command -h` or `man command`.

>How will it help me reuse something i just ls'ed into vision without having to retype half the path i just typed into that ls command?

Up arrow.