FreeLists / openbeos / [openbeos] Re: B_USER_DATA_DIRECTORY?

["Scott MacMaster" <scott@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kevin Field" <kev@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <openbeos@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, October 02, 2004 9:48 AM
Subject: [openbeos] Re: B_USER_DATA_DIRECTORY?


> > > My point was that you can't assume that "home" implies that to
> > > people -
> > > it didn't to me. I guessed it was the home of something, but had no
> > > idea what (config files, logs etc seemed to be the most likely).
> > > Having
> > > a "My *" (documents, files, whatever) at least makes it clear to
> > > the
> > > user that is where they can put stuff.
> >
> > Since we are having this discussion I feel like I have a chance to
> > vent
> > one of my pet peeves.  When they first came out with "My Documents"
> > I thought it was the silliest thing.  Like a number of people I
> > suppose,
> > I personify my computer.  So, presumably "My Documents" is the place
> > where the computer puts its documents.  If only there was a "Your
> > Documents" folder someplace for me to put mine... :-)
>
> I thought it was silly for another reason--My Documents, well, whom
> else's would they be, sitting on my computer?  Well, friends can share
> documents with you, I guess, but then there was no Other People's
> Documents, so everyone just put them under My Documents, and a whole
> lot of other non-document garbage as well.
>
> Why can't we just call it user_data?

I've worked on other peoples computers a number of times.  Sometimes the 
system was so messed the only thing to do would be format and reinstall. 
Other times they were getting a new computer and wanted to keep the new 
system the same as the original.  I would tell them their data would need to 
be backed up before I could continue.  They understood "backed up" but they 
had no idea what I meant by data.  I usually had to get through their old 
system and attempt to find their data and back it up.  Anyway, my point is 
calling a folder user_data or using the word data in the folder name would 
not be the best idea.  However, most people currently using BeOS aren't 
computer illiterate so this wouldn't be a big issue until we get Haiku 
finished and try to market it to the average user.

Also, the average user doesn't know where there files are.  When they save 
files they understand the name text field, the save button, and the cancel 
button.  They don't understand the navigation part.  When they open a file 
their files magically appear in that list thing.  They select it and then 
click open.

Overall, I don't think the name matters much.  People who understand it 
probably will save their files elsewhere.  People who don't understand it, 
will end up saving it in this folder and not even realize it.  Maybe the 
best solution would be to have a setting the specifies folders for user 
data, documents, pictures, music, etc.  That way we technical people can 
change the defaults to what we use.


Later,
Scott MacMaster