ok. No need for a holy war. nano/pico, joe, and emacs are other preferred editors.
I used ee as well when I was new. I am happy I took the time to learn vi. I beg to differ as I find it to be an elegant editor. It is optional unless your gonna pursue a career as an admin. If you are a touch typist it is also nice.
The main point people new to FreeBSD and other open source softwares is that it is all about choice. Your preference may become negated in the argument but it is nice to know we both have the freedom to choose which tools make us more productive.