Re: Terminology

[Christian Rose <menthos menthos com>]

colin z robertson wrote:
> > > Point taken, but let me make the counter-argument. Most old Unix
> > > programs still use "directory", and it will be some time (if ever)
> > > before users stop having to interact with those. For the sake of
> > > consistency with the rest of Unix we should be using "directory".
> >
> > Umm, I'm afraid I don't agree with you here. We have to ask us what is
> > more important. Will things break if modern Gnome applications use the
> > term "folder" and console unix applications still use the term
> > "directory"? I think not - the advanced users that are familiar with both
> > environments probably know that both are the same. More important, will
> > calling it "directory" everywhere in Gnome break anything? I think yes,
> > especially for novice users that will mostly only be in contact with the
> > gui. My father, a very novice computer user, knows only the term "folder"
> > from his introduction computer course (in Windows) and keeps asking me
> > what "directory" is, and each time I have to explain that it is synonymous
> > to "folder".
> >
> > I think the question if we should be trying to build a desktop for
> > everyone regardless of the system they used previously, or try to
> > build a fancy graphical environment for just experienced unix users. I
> > believe the former is the goal I want.
> 
> hmm. You make a strong argument. I may reluctantly have to agree with
> you here.

Oh, nice :-)


> I can, though, see another problem with folders: As a Free desktop
> environment we're rather dependent on the good will of hackers. Taking
> a quick look through a few Gnome applications I can see almost all of
> them using "directory" rather than "folder". If we start asking
> hackers to switch to "folder", what chance do we have that they will
> actually do so?

True enough.
I suspect most hackers are simply unaware of the problem. I think many
would gladly switch to the "folder" terminology if they were informed
about the problems. Use bugzilla! :-)


> We'll also find ourselves in danger of having 50% of applications
> using one term and 50% using the other. Gnome has precious few areas
> in which it is even self-consistent, and at the moment this is one of
> them. I'm quite reluctant to start breaking that.

But then we already have this inconsistency today, since Nautilus and
Evolution use the term "folder". So the problem is already here today,
and one way of solving it is making more applications use the term
"folder".


> > , and I recently
> > > noticed another reason to like the term: The usual abbreviation for
> > > "directory" is "dir", which is very appropriate if you pronounce it as
> > > "dire".
> >
> > I'm afraid I don't understand your point here.
> 
> Sorry, I'm making poor jokes again. Directories are a dire way of
> organising information.
> 
> Well, at least I was amused...

I probably didn't get the joke since English is not my first language.
:(
Sorry.


Christian