Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!think.com!barmar
From: barmar@think.com (Barry Margolin)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: Computers for users not programmers
Message-ID: <1991Jan30.193422.15369@Think.COM>
Date: 30 Jan 91 19:34:22 GMT
References: <1991Jan29.150122.4454@lth.se> <1991Jan30.014945.22840@amd.com> <1991Jan30.100611.6787@lth.se>
Sender: news@Think.COM
Organization: Thinking Machines Corporation, Cambridge MA, USA
Lines: 45

In article <1991Jan30.100611.6787@lth.se> magnus@thep.lu.se (Magnus Olsson) writes:
>The concept of `folders' on the Mac is identical to what is called 
>subdirectories under Unix, MS-DOS, VMS and so on. Under these last
>OS's, you see lots of users who refuse to learn anything about subdirectories,
>but put all their files in the root directory. Is this because the concept of
>a subdirectory is so inherently difficult that the users just can't understand
>it? Possibly - but I haven't seen a single Macintosh user (at least not one
>with a hard disk) who didn't understand and use folders.

I think one reason (but not the only one) Macintosh users make folders is
because they *have* to.  The graphical user interface makes it harder to
access files that don't fit on the screen.  With a single folder the user
would be spending all their time scrolling the window to find the files
they want (yes, there are some keyboard shortcuts, but most users probably
don't know about them).  On a traditional, command line OS it's just as
easy to access a file in a big directory as it is in a small one.  Also,
the size of the directory isn't as obvious on a text-based OS, whereas
graphical file managers put a representation of the directory right there
on the screen, reminding you all the time.

>The point is: to use
>the Unix subdirectories, you have to have some *udnerstanding* of how the
>directory tree works. To get that understanding, you must spend some time
>reading manuals, or having it explained to you. On a Mac, the concept of a
>folder is intuitively obvious once you've played around with the finder for
>five minutes or so

I find it very difficult to believe that significant "understanding" is
necessary to use traditional subdirectories.  Sure, you have to find out
about the "mkdir" and "cd" commands, whereas the menu and visual interface
of a Mac make this step simpler.  But you don't have to understand how it
works; all the user needs to know is that directories are places to put
their things.

Here's an interesting question I have: how many unsophisticated Mac users
have nested folders (not counting nested folders built automatically by
some application)?  My guess is that very few do.  I'm not sure exactly
what the significance of this would be, but it seems like it should mean
something.

--
Barry Margolin, Thinking Machines Corp.

barmar@think.com
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