[RFC/PATCH] m4: enable silent build rules by default

This has been available since automake 1.11 released over a decade
ago.  Let's flip the default to enable silent builds by default.
---
 NEWS         | 9 +++++++++
 m4/silent.m4 | 2 +-
 2 files changed, 10 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index fb05ee219708..866ace951fd5 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -3,6 +3,15 @@ please see NEWS-2.0 and start following the advice there now.
 
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
+New in 1.17:
+
+* Miscellaneous changes
+
+  - Silent rules are enabled by default.  They can be disabled with the call
+    `AM_SILENT_RULES([no])`.
+
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
 New in 1.16.5:
 
 * Bugs fixed
diff --git a/m4/silent.m4 b/m4/silent.m4
index 7d6036a68134..419d3ebc6181 100644
--- a/m4/silent.m4
+++ b/m4/silent.m4
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ AS_HELP_STRING(
 case $enable_silent_rules in @%:@ (((
   yes) AM_DEFAULT_VERBOSITY=0;;
    no) AM_DEFAULT_VERBOSITY=1;;
-    *) AM_DEFAULT_VERBOSITY=m4_if([$1], [yes], [0], [1]);;
+    *) AM_DEFAULT_VERBOSITY=m4_if([$1], [no], [0], [1]);;
 esac
 dnl
 dnl A few 'make' implementations (e.g., NonStop OS and NextStep)
-- 
2.33.0