Re: [Nautilus-list] "Folder" vs. "Directory" terminology

[Jamin Philip Gray <jgray writeme com>]

I also think that "Folder" is a superset of "Directory".  A directory
has a specific meaning when refering to the filesystem.  A folder
could simply be a logical grouping of files or other data.  I think
folder's a better choice of terminology for that reason.  You could
potentially have vFolders, for example, in nautilus, that aren't
actually directories, but rather logical groupings of files.

-Jamin


----------------------------------------------------
name:    Jamin Philip Gray
email:   jgray writeme com
icq:     1361499
jabber:  jamin jabber com
web:     http://DoLinux.org/jamin/

He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like
a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without
one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the
country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at
a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.
(Joseph Romm, Washington)

> I don't know if there was user testing behind the choice...but... What
> is a "directory" in standard parlance? Certainely somebody shown a
> picture of one of the Nautilus "folder/directory" icons would not say it
> was a picture of a directory. The word "folder" corresponds to the
> folder icon, which is already in standard use.
> 
> IMO, to use the term directory while displaying a "folder" is a bad
> choice, and offhand I can't think of an icon that conveys the notion of
> a "directory/folder" in a way that is markedly superior to "folder".
> Without any reason to "be different" we shouldn't be different, since
> that's likely to cause unnecessary confusion.
> 
> -Seth
> 
> On 26 Jun 2001 23:52:24 +0200, Christian Rose wrote:
> > Nautilus uses "folder" everywhere in its user interface. While "folder"
> > is not uncommon in GNOME, many other applications use "directory".
> > 
> > I'm wondering if Eazel did some user testing to support this terminology
> > decision? What where the motives behind, except it being used in MacOS
> > and Windows?
> > The reason I'm asking is that I personally want a more consistent
> > terminology used in GNOME applications, so it would be nice to know the
> > results of user testing on terminology alternatives like those above.
> > 
> > 
> > Thanks!
> > Christian
> > 
> > _______________________________________________
> > Nautilus-list mailing list
> > Nautilus-list lists eazel com
> > http://lists.eazel.com/mailman/listinfo/nautilus-list
> > 
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Nautilus-list mailing list
> Nautilus-list lists eazel com
> http://lists.eazel.com/mailman/listinfo/nautilus-list
>