Frog Design has predicted the end of folders as a way of organizing files on a computer is near. With the introduction of technologies such as Apple’s Spotlight and Google’s Desktop Search, the old method of sorting information in folders has made it too hard to locate files easily.
“The Finder has been dying for a long time,” said frog creative director Cordell Ratzlaff, who previously worked at Apple Computer, where he directed human interface design for Mac OS 8 through Mac OS X. “As hard drives have grown in size and the number of files people have on their computer has increased, the Finder has become less useful.”
I know that I have found myself using Quicksilver to find files rather than clicking down through folders.
Via Greg
Far from it. I use folders to give myself a sort of rough guide to finding and identifying all my data. Even with the powerful desktop search tools, folders are still very much an integral part of computing.
No way. At least URLs are still based on directories. I love folders more than label/keyword/whatever.
I had always thought of folders as an organizational tool not a hindrance to finding the files I want. To not have folders at all is to me chaotic and not good for a person with OCDish tendencies.
I concur. I would like something like Gmail’s labels, though, to work inside folders.
Some guys organize their rooms and can find things easily. Some guys just throw stuff everywhere and take a bit longer to find things, but it kinna evens out because he didn’t have to spend time organizing it.
I can see doing away with folder as a tool for organization and becoming more of just a storage facility. I think that is what the article might be trying to say.
With the introduction of the desktop search tools, you don’t really have to spend the time organizing folders with different levels and sub-folders (as well as remembering that organization) when you can just fire up an application, type a keyword or two, and find the file just as fast (if not faster).
Even though search technologies are more advanced than ever I don’t think they will ever kill off folders if I don’t keep my MP3s the very least organized I go crazy.
Well, I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m looking forward to a change in file structuring (or elimination thereof). The current method feels dated and in need of revision.
…If only I had a mac so I could rely on spotlight… :( dang you XP for being so slow. :)
THe most of you have the right logical idea. folders make sense for organizing data, i dont understand how they are a hindrance
“With the introduction of technologies such as Apple’s Spotlight and Google’s Desktop Search, the old method of sorting information in folders has made it too hard to locate files easily.”
This is just totally backwards…Spotlight etc hasn’t made finding stuff in folders harder, it’s just as hard/easy as it was before.