Submit a patch? -- Change your thoughts and you change the world. --Dr. Norman Vincent Peale
> On May 10, 2026, at 6:01 PM, Lenth, Russell V via R-devel > <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Apparently, it was not a clarification at all. I don't understand where I > went wrong trying to explain this. So please let me start over... > > When a new user first installs R, they are asked whether they want the paper > size to be letter or A4, and I think a couple of other preferences. > Similarly, I want them also to be asked whether they want to see significance > stars. That new user would not have to look anywhere, because they are asked > about it; they'd have to answer that question before proceeding with the > installation. > > In other words, the installation software GENERATES the user's initial > .Rprofile file. The line that sets the option 'show.signif.stars' should be > in that generated file. That way, the option is there for them to see and it > can be changed. > > Without such efforts to make this option visible, only R wizards know the > option even exists. > > Russ > > >> On May 10, 2026, at 4:28 PM, Marc Schwartz <[email protected]> wrote: >> [You don't often get email from [email protected]. Learn why this is >> important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] >> >> Hi Russ, >> >> Thanks for the clarification. >> >> I would not disagree with the suggestion, the key would be for a new user to >> even know where to look for such an option, if they knew that it existed in >> the first place. >> >> I would need to review the relevant documentation (e.g. Intro to R) and >> relevant help files, trying to think like a new useR, as to how easily it >> would be to first find that option (e.g. using ?options and perhaps >> ?Startup) to begin to follow the pathway that would lead me to the file for >> editing. >> >> I almost wonder, if this came up often enough as a question, if it would >> make sense to add it as a FAQ? >> >> Regards, >> >> Marc >> >> >>>> On May 10, 2026, at 4:54 PM, Lenth, Russell V <[email protected]> >>>> wrote: >>> >>> Marc, >>> >>> Yes, of course; I have that in my .Rprofile too. >>> >>> But what I'm suggesting is that the FACTORY FRESH .Rprofile file includes >>> this option so that it is visible to new users, just as the 'papersize' >>> option is already in there. New users are very unlikely to know that option >>> even exists. I want it to be visible when you first install R so that >>> people know they have a choice. >>> >>> Russ >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: Marc Schwartz <[email protected]> >>> Sent: Sunday, May 10, 2026 3:46 PM >>> To: Lenth, Russell V <[email protected]> >>> Cc: [email protected] >>> Subject: [External] Re: [Rd] default for 'signif.stars' >>> >>> [You don't often get email from [email protected]. Learn why this is >>> important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] >>> >>> Hi Russ, >>> >>> I may be misunderstanding what you are suggesting, but if not, the ability >>> to place: >>> >>> options(show.signif.stars = FALSE) >>> >>> in ~/.Rprofile has been around for years. I have been using R since circa >>> 2001 and have had that in my ~/.Rprofile for as long as I can remember. >>> >>> I would have to defer to others as to when that may have been added as >>> feature, if not available back then. >>> >>> Regards, >>> >>> Marc Schwartz >>> >>>> On May 10, 2026, at 4:23 PM, Lenth, Russell V via R-devel >>>> <[email protected]> wrote: >>>> Hello, >>>> I'm following up on a thread from 7 years ago (Mar 2019) where there are >>>> several arguments -- some of them passionate -- for and against having the >>>> 'show.signif.stars' option default to TRUE. You can look back in the >>>> archives (https://stat.ethz.ch/pipermail/r-devel/) under "default for >>>> 'signif.stars'", starting 27 March 2019 to see what was said. You may also >>>> want to look at the "Regression stars" thread initiated by Frank Harrell >>>> starting 7 Feb 2013. >>>> Clearly, there is a long-standing debate on this issue. I'm writing to >>>> suggest a more modest response than changing the default for >>>> 'show.signif.stars': Instead, consider making 'show.signif.stars' a >>>> configuration option along with 'papersize' and others that some users >>>> will want to change. The default .Rprofile script starts with "# Things >>>> you might want to change" - and it could be added there. I think this file >>>> is initialized with some modal dialogs in a new installation of R, and it >>>> would be good to add it there too. >>>> Why do this? Because there are a lot of users out there who strongly >>>> object to significance stars, just like there are a lot of people who use >>>> letter-sized paper. They are your colleagues, even though you may disagree >>>> with them; and it gives them a more visible way of not having those >>>> asterisks cluttering their results. >>>> Thanks >>>> Russ Lenth >>>> Professor Emeritus >>>> University of Iowa, USA > ______________________________________________ > [email protected] mailing list > https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-devel [[alternative HTML version deleted]] ______________________________________________ [email protected] mailing list https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-devel
