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Shuttleworth On Redefining File Systems

moteyalpha writes "Mark Shuttleworth described the beginnings of what could a great step forward in making file systems more usable. I've personally had the experience of trying to find a file for a customer who had just finished editing a critical report, saved it, and then couldn't locate it to deliver to their client. Quoting: 'My biggest concern on this front is that it be done in a way that every desktop environment can embrace. We need a consistent experience across GNOME, KDE, OpenOffice and Firefox so that content can flow from app to app in a seamless fashion and the user's expectations can be met no matter which app or environment they happen to use. If someone sends a file to me over Empathy, and I want to open it in Amarok, then I shouldn't have to work with two completely different mental models of content storage.'"

10 of 414 comments (clear)

  1. Re:In other news, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Unless you store it at very cold temperatures. In that case users expecting to be able to sip away at their water may be a little disoriented when someone hands them a block of ice.

  2. Re:This would be easy by haeger · · Score: 5, Funny

    Less than a minute of Bash scripting.
    Obviously you're not a consultant.
    "If you're not part of the solution there's good money to be made in prolonging the problem."

    Do you honestly expect ANY customer to pay you if you solve their problem in less than a minute?
    Back to school young grasshopper, you're obviously not ready for the real world.

     

    .haeger

    --
    You are not entitled to your opinion. You are entitled to your informed opinion. -- Harlan Ellison
  3. Re:Expansive syntax, and the work required.... by phantomcircuit · · Score: 2, Funny

    To do even this simple thing with Linux, all of our applications would have to be re-written to enable a new file specification syntax, hopefully one reasonably compatible with the past. We're talking about a shitload of work, so it's important to agree on a set of goals first, to avoid having to re-do it later.

    And there you have it, that is the advantage that open source really has. Backwards compatibility can be dropped fairly quickly because other software that relies on those APIs can be rewritten by the same people who changed the API.

  4. Re:This would be easy by ProfessionalCookie · · Score: 2, Funny
    We don't press enter.

    Cheers,

  5. Re:This would be easy by chromatic · · Score: 4, Funny

    We don't press enter.

    That'll free up space on the new Macbook!

  6. Re:This would be easy by Daimanta · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Or just be a frickin file nazi."

    Yeah, but exterminating .doc files makes me sad :(

    --
    Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power lost.
  7. Re:This would be easy by Risen888 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yeah, but exterminating .doc files makes me sad :(

    Not me. They're a plague, it's time for a final solution.

    --
    Hey, I finally got my first freak! Took you long enough!
  8. Re:Expansive syntax, and the work required.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    TANSTAAFL : There Aint No Space to Archive All Files, Luke!!

  9. Re:This would be easy by zapakh · · Score: 5, Funny

    Honestly, "I just saved a file and now I don't know where I put it" is more indicative of the human operating the computer, than it is of the computer apparently lacking facilities to find the files.

    And this statement perfectly demonstrates why Linux is not now, and will not be for a very long time, a true Desktop OS.

    I couldn't find my keys this morning. It's a real shame, too, since I used to think my car was roadworthy. But it turns out that it expects me to know where I put my keys, and blames the user when they go missing.

    I just want to drive to work! I don't want to manage a bunch of keys...

  10. Re:This would be easy by swarsron · · Score: 2, Funny

    Cartman?