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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Fwd: Re: Folder and directory: the Konsole case
From:       Gérard Delafond <gerard () delafond ! org>
Date:       2003-10-23 15:49:28
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----------  Message transmis  ----------

Subject: Re: Folder and directory: the Konsole case
Date: Jeudi 23 Octobre 2003 10:23
From: Luciano Montanaro <mikelima@virgilio.it>
To: Gérard Delafond <gerard@delafond.org>

On Thursday 23 October 2003 00:12, you wrote:
> Le Mercredi 22 Octobre 2003 14:59, vous avez écrit :
> > > In franch team, we haved changed all directories into folders for a
> > > long time. directory = repertoire
> > > Folder = dossier.
> > >
> > > So CD = Changer de Dossier, which is perfect
> > >
> > > ;-)
> > >
> > > Gerard
> >
> > Umh, If we called directories "drawers", cd would work for english too
> > ;-)
> >
> :-)
> :
> > Just joking,
> > Luciano

Did you mean to reply to me personally or on the list?
If it was meant for the list, please forward this message (and the answer,
obviously to the mailing list. I follow kde-usability and kde-core-devel, if
you post somewhere else then please cc directly too. I suppose this should go
to kde-i18n-doc too, but I am currently not subscribed to that, and really I
am spending too much time reading mail.)

> This thread shows there is no reasonable solution for this problem. In
> fact, I think it is not a problem.

I kind of agree, but:
directory is used in all the console applications, and kde can't change that.
So it makes no sense to use folder in that case, it makes it dubious if the
folder is a directory or something else.

I'm referring specifically to the "Directory:" label in the Konsole control
panel, which refers to the starting directory of a shell session.

The interface should be written for the target audience of the application,
and I argue that the target audience would not appreciate the change.

The other issue is that folder is already used for a similar but different
kind of collection in KDE. For example, in KMail mail folder are implemented
as files or directories. Using s/directory/folder/ would not be enough, the
documentation would need to be reworded.

My joking answer would at least have the advantage that the two concepts
distinction would be preserved.

> Let's summarize :
> -directories are neither directories nor folders, so the 2 words are bad.
> -Nobody can propose a better word (it is the same for "file")

Maybe since my primary language is not English, I don't appreciate that. To
me , a directory is a directory. I mean, directory is a computer-related word
only, unless I an reading or speaking of something non-computer related.

Both words are analogies, and from that point of view there is no "better"
word, only "familiar".

> -People who know a little about computers understandas well Directories and
> Folders
> -People who don''t know about computers don't understand anything about
> these strange words
>
> So, it is probably not very important.

I don't like the fact that clarity or accuracy is sacrified to the "mytical"
user, who, in my opinion, could not care the less.

> I have maintened on the web a big documentation for 5 years about Linux,
> and among the hundreds of questions I have been asked, nobody never asked
> about this (I use as well the words Directories and Folders).
>
> Gerard

Well this would support my opinion that the "status quo ante" was good
enough ;-)

Well, enough ranting.
I'll go back to work.

Greetings

Luciano


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