Re: [News] Linux Bashing Based on Self Interest, Propaganda, Old Linux Experience, or Lack of Experience

[Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

__/ [ JEDIDIAH ] on Friday 18 August 2006 18:22 \__

> On 2006-08-18, Oliver Wong <owong@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>> [Just answering some of Roy's questions, as I don't have much more to add
>> [to
>> the original discussion]
>>
>> "Roy Schestowitz" <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>> news:1259747.0RnALRuKfD@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>
>>> From other points of view such as usability, there is another factor:
>>> duration of use. Was it you who argued that "shortcut" is better
>>> terminology
>>> than "link" (or soft and hard links, which are more proper
>>> interpretations)?
>>
>>     I hesitate to say "yes", because of all misunderstandings that have
>> arisen around my posts. Let me phrase it as "I think a computer novice is
>> more likely to guess what a 'shortcut' does than what a 'symbolic link'
>> does."
> 
> A computer novice is going to guess WRONG because his notion
> of what it is will be skewed by past experience which will likely give
> him a false understanding.
> 
> [deletia]
> 
> The name collision will just make it easier for him to GET IT
> WRONG.

I disagreed when I read this, but didn't immediately reply because the post
as a whole was long. People associate words with pictures, actions, or
charcaters (among other things). When a Windows user hears the word
shortcut, will s/he think of some hidden path down the forest? Or will it be
that 32x32 pixel icon with a little /pointer/ on its side. A terminology
like pointer (or link) seems more suitable to me. Forget about
hard/soft/symbolic. These are just /classes/ of links (ln). With classes
comes power which Windows does not incorporate (developed into an old
argument in COLA, because of NT). And when in KDE, for example, you drag
icons, you can move/copy/link. 'Link' is simpler and shorter than 'create a
shortcut'. Simplicity is gold. Habits impede proper judgment.


-- 
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