← Back to team overview

unity-design team mailing list archive

Re: Files

 

I disagree.

On Fri, Jul 20, 2012 at 6:11 PM, Brandon Watkins <bwat47@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Yeah, naming it something like "File Manager" is far clearer. Its a simple
> name that explains what it does, and its easy for a user to understand.


If what you have in mind is a program, then "Files Program" or "File
Manager" would probably help you with your individual technology-focused
point of view.
But if what you expect is more closely aligned with physical reality, then
the place to go would logically be "Files" when you want to deal with files.

"Files" in this sense stands for a conceptual represantation of finite-size
content objects.
A particular, gradually also aging type of model we use or "used to use" to
represent once predominant objects of structured information.

Nowadays i can see that the predominant objects we are into are documents,
videos, sounds, photos, emails, messages conversations and streams.
The "File" metaphor is a deprecated concept of data representation, in my
modest opinion.

We even talk about Apps where people used to say "program".
So approaching this topic with the "Beginners Mind" would help greatly, i
am convinced.





>
>
> On Fri, Jul 20, 2012 at 10:38 AM, Matthew Paul Thomas <mpt@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>wrote:
>
>> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
>> Hash: SHA1
>>
>> cmaglothin wrote on 20/07/12 05:51:
>> > ...
>> >
>> > Not to detract from current conversation, but how is calling an
>> > app that deals solely with files by the name Files bad?
>>
>> "Where do I go to organize my files?"
>> "Files."
>> "Yes, my files. Where do I go to do that?"
>> "You go to Files."
>> "Yes, that's what I want to know, how I can do that."
>> "You open Files."
>> "Yeah, that's what I want to do."
>> "And I'm telling you."
>> "Well, go on then. How do I get to my files?"
>> "You launch Files."
>> "Well, not necessarily. Maybe I just want to rename them."
>> "You can do that too."
>> "So where do I do it?"
>> "You do it in Files."
>> "I mean, what's the name of the program?"
>> "No, Files is the name of the program."
>> "What's the name of the program?"
>> "Files is."
>> "Files is what?"
>> "FILES IS THE NAME OF THE PROGRAM."
>> "Okay, calm down, I just asked a question. Show me a little empathy."
>> "Oh, no, that's our chat program."
>>
>
Excellent anecdote, definitely valid in it's own way, from it's own point
of view.
In this sensitive cause otoh i find it more entertaining than enlightening.

Follow ups

References