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Some productivity tips

Posted: 08 Mar 2010, 02:17
by gregzeng
Noticed that these foruma are used by PROGRAMMERS, .... not by the typical END-USER. So much emphasis on the KEYBOARD, not the MOUSE.

SS is the modern update to DOS "NORTON COMMANDER". Programmers need to know that SS is also powerful for modern end-users, who use a MOUSE and VOICE-ACTIVATION (Dragon Naturally Speaking, Opera Voicem Microsoft Voice, etc), not a keyboard.

So I'll list some of my folder names, and file names below. Each folder & file name type displays correctly in alphanumeric order, as I want, in the colors I want. MOUSE ACTION ONLY ... no keyboard use. Dates and colors are carefully selected, so that displat by date, size, extension or name gives my preferred order, EVERY TIME for EVERY folder or drive, on every computer (desktops, notebooks, netbooks). Unfortunately Linux is much crazier than Ms Windows, so the below rules do'nt work so well.

Code: Select all

'            E NTFS 3G - 242-300
     ; all my drives (USB-OFFLINE, DVD, etc) list at the top, date 31-12-9999, colored the same match file type : '.........         
'    A R C H I V E S   PENDING
'    D A T A   P E N D I N G
'    E   D O W N L O A D S
    ; the above folders are most frequently accessed, dated 31-12-2222, all  same color

'   B A C K U P
'   D E S K T O P
'   F A V O R I T E S
'   history
'   M A I L
'   P R O G R A M S
'   recent
'   send to
'   templates
   ;  the lower case folder names are SYSTEM attributes, visible with CTRL-H
-
  ; this folder is top of every tree, for quick access, creation & deleteing 


=       C BOOT.lnk
=       E DOWNLOADS.lnk
=      M U S I C.lnk
=      O DVD -RW.lnk
=     ARCHIVES PENDING.lnk
=     ARCHIVES.lnk
=     BACKUP.lnk
=     DATA PENDING.lnk
=     DATA.lnk
=     P H O T O S.lnk
=   DESKTOP.lnk
= (h) A R C H I V E S  500.lnk
= (h) C PAVVY2 BOOT 500.lnk
= (h) D a t a  500.lnk
= G R A P H I C S.lnk
  ; these are zero size files, pointing to the folders, all colored, dated the same

BACKUP
bak
INCOMPLETE
PROGRAM FILES
temp
TORRENTS
Zz Newest File.zzzz
Zz Newest Folder.zzz
Zz Oldest File.zzzz
Zz Oldest Folder.zzz
  ; zz*.* files & folders are r-o dated to the most extreme possible, confirming date order shown

`  A R C H I V E S
`  A U D I O   B O O K
`  CONTACTS
`  D A T A
`  E B O O K
`  G R A P H I C S
`  L-i N U X
`  M E D I A
`  M U S I C
`  P H O T O S
`  V I D E O S
  ;  all these permanent storage folders are same on all drives, computers.  Each computer has a subset appropriate.
  ;  the full set is stored ONLY on the removable USB-BACKUP drives.
Next tip shows my ARCHIVE folders.

Re: Some productivity tips

Posted: 08 Mar 2010, 03:51
by gregzeng
; [Sorry about spelling errors; using Avant Browser in Vista, since Sharetastic is busy, but Opera (inbuilt spell heck) has crashed until I reboot.]
; [no apologies for my "arrogance"; it's based on genuine expertise & life experience] :(

SS use by mouse alone? Most op sys have an on-screen keyboard. This is essential for aged, bed-bound cripples like myself (ex IT consultant).

So my ARCHIVES folder is interesting. The folder on my USB-OFFLINE drives covers ALL my computers, notebooks, netbooks & smartphones. So it differs to the one below. Notice the dates & times are created by the standard SS icon. I'll show my preferred SS icon bar later ... it is very different to the DEFAULT SS icon bars, because it is NOT DESIGNED FOR KEYBOARDS, but mouse & voice-command users.

When SS grows up, it will realize that MOST PC USERS rarely use CLI and keyboards.

Volume in drive E is E NTFS 3G DATA 242-300
; C is ' C PAVVY2 BOOT. My second HP PAVILLION (every few years). E is 242 GB of my after-market Samsung 300 GB HDD.
; Overheating destroyed the first cylinder (under warranty). GPARTED created a hidden first partition of this destroyed cylinder

; this was created by GPARTED in OPENSUSE, so uses NTFS-3G. Microsoft does not know the difference between DATA, ARCHIVES & PROGRAMS, so puts it by default onto one enormous partition. Easily fragmented, malware-crippled, obliterated. Linux has crazy names for its partitions, so I default them to NTFS-3G partitions. Linux also wronly thinks that file defragmentation does not happen.

Code: Select all

 Volume Serial Number is 40E5-E84B

 Directory of E:\`  A R C H I V E S

11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          $ $ $
  ; these are money or business (MBA) type programs.

11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          '      A R C H I V E S
  ; notice the extra blank spaces.  This "mask" tells SS to give the folder name at the top of the list, and in a unique color

11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          '   I N F O
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          ' COMPUTER H W
 ; these are the DVDs, updates from my many computers, smartphones, etc.

11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          ' F L A S H   C A R D
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          ' W W W

  ; the below folders include programs on my diverse interests, but not used as much as the above
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          A U D I O
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          B A R      C O D E
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          B I Z
  ; past careers in corporate management, directorships

11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          C A M E R A
  ;  past careers in the a-visual industries
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          C O M S
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          C R A C K
  ; needed to bust into old computers/ software

11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          C U R S O R
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          D  O S
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          D A T E    T I M E
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          D B       N U M B E R S
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          D I S P L A Y
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          D R I V E S
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          E D U C A T I O N
  ;  past careers in teaching, curriculum devevolpment

11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          F A X
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          F I L E      F O R M A T S
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          F I L E S
  ; SS & others are in the sub-folder "BROWSERS"

11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          F O L D E R S
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          G A M E S
  ;  essential for all researchers/ teachers: SIMS of all types, freeware & paid

11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          G P S
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          G R A P H I C S
  ; includes FONTS e.g. "symbols" 

11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          H O M E
  ;  married, so architectual, ergonomics, etc
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          I C O N S
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          I N F O
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          L A N G U A G E
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          L O G
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          M A C R O
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          M O D E M
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          M O T H E R B O A R D
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          M O U S E
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          N E T W O R K
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          O F F I C E
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          O P    S Y S
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          P D F
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          P H O N E
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          P O R T S     I O
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          P R I N T E R
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          P R O C E S S
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          P R O G R A M M I N G
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          R E G I S T R Y
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          S C A N N E R
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          S E C U R I T Y
  ; not W W W security, but SURVEILLANCE & computer malware protection

11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          S T A R T    S T O P
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          T E X T
  ; not word processing - "W P"

11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          T W E A K
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          U S B      F - W I R E
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          V I D E O
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          V O I C E
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          W P

  ; notice extreme dates.  Time reset set by SS icon as well
12/12/9999  09:53 PM    <DIR>          Zz Newest Folder.zzz
01/01/1601  11:43 PM    <DIR>          Zz Oldest Folder.zzz

 ; these folders are rarely used, so are last
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          ` 8 B F
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          ` DMG
11/11/2222  11:11 PM    <DIR>          ` XPI

              61 Dir(s)  156,535,988,224 bytes free
  ; too large, so will PARTITION WIZARD or GPARTED for ANDROID, etc.

Re: Some productivity tips - mouse 0nly icon bars

Posted: 08 Mar 2010, 06:19
by gregzeng
The first two pictures use PICTVIEW screen capture, inbuild into every SS.

; looking at my PREVIEW in this forum, my images seem not to display.
; I have greater details & explanations behind my choice of icons.
; How do we upload photos to this forum, if possible.

[img]E:\'%20%20%20%20D%20A%20T%20A%20%20%20P%20E%20N%20D%20I%20N%20G\Ss%20Date%20Show%202.jpg[/img]
The image below, if it uploads from my HP PAVILION, shows the colors used for the different file types. Outstanding is the RECYCLE BIN ("system" attribute, made in-visible with CTRL-H), which is removed by SHIFT-DEL. Normally the hidden files and folders are not used, to speed my usage of SS with mouse & voice.

Of course the CLI & keyboard dinsoars don't use voice & mouse.

The Newset & Oldest dates that SS allows are shown in the Information Bar at the bottom.

The Directory bar at the top of each window allows easy access to other windows. Double click & Drag above the Middle tool bar allow auto resizing & placement of any window.

[img]E:\'%20%20%20%20D%20A%20T%20A%20%20%20P%20E%20N%20D%20I%20N%20G\Ss%20Date%20Show.jpg[/img]

This image shows hidden files ("system") as hidden, but PictView in operation.
Of special interest is the order of my chosen icons, placed inhe top and middle icon bars. They are placed in order of my frequent usage.

Previously I complained the SS icons were anti-ergonomic. The screen display shows how invisible & confusing the icon design is. There shouls be two icon sets available, allowing us to alternate icons for greater contrast when next to each other.

Re: Some productivity tips

Posted: 08 Mar 2010, 08:33
by Jan Rysavy
Removed from http://forum.altap.cz/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=178

Please keep your posts short, clean and easy to understand. Thank you.

Also please take into account it's Altap Salamander (AS) now.

Re: Some productivity tips - mouse 0nly icon bars

Posted: 08 Mar 2010, 14:03
by Ether
gregzeng wrote: ; looking at my PREVIEW in this forum, my images seem not to display.
; I have greater details & explanations behind my choice of icons.
; How do we upload photos to this forum, if possible.
Use the Upload attachment box below the textarea. The [img] tag is for including internet-hosted images.
gregzeng wrote:Previously I complained the SS icons were anti-ergonomic. The screen display shows how invisible & confusing the icon design is.
The icon set was created a long time ago with respect to the fashion of that time. I think there's a topic about a re-design somewhere on the forums, but I can't find it right now.
gregzeng wrote:When SS grows up, it will realize that MOST PC USERS rarely use CLI and keyboards.
gregzeng wrote:Noticed that these foruma are used by PROGRAMMERS, .... not by the typical END-USER. So much emphasis on the KEYBOARD, not the MOUSE.
gregzeng wrote:Programmers need to know that SS is also powerful for modern end-users, who use a MOUSE and VOICE-ACTIVATION ([...]), not a keyboard.
Firstly, I believe that "most PC users" don't use a file manager at all, they rather stick with whatever the OS gives them (Windows Explorer in our case), so there's not much need to make Salamander available for mouse-centric users, let alone voice-centric. It's all about the target audience - most Salamander users are keyboard-centric and prefer quick access to functions through keyboard shortcuts rather than relatively slow and interrupting pointing and clicking.

Re: Some productivity tips - mouse 0nly icon bars

Posted: 08 Mar 2010, 15:18
by JohnFredC
Ether wrote:so there's not much need to make Salamander available for mouse-centric users, let alone voice-centric. It's all about the target audience - most Salamander users are keyboard-centric and prefer quick access to functions through keyboard shortcuts rather than relatively slow and interrupting pointing and clicking.
This is an incredibly short-sighted remark, so much so I have to respond:

It has been demonstrated time and again (the CHI research is available for anyone to examine) that a properly designed GUI with pointing device (mouse, finger, what have you) is more efficient than a keyboard for the majority of computer interactions that can be expressed as selections and motions. The only thing a keyboard is better for (than a pointing device in a well designed pointing-centric UI) is text input.

It is not a law of nature nor (in this era of computer technology) remotely necessary to express file management solely in a text entry paradigm. The persistence of such UI models in certain subcategories of CHI (such as file management) reflects the historical importance of the low-technology command-line and the feelings of superiority felt by the members of the cultural milieu that employ it. Most file manager forums overflow with the attitude expressed in the above post and IMO sorely impede advancement in file manager design.

File management can be more efficiently accomplished within a point/select UI that minimizes the requirement for keyboard interaction. Point/select/demonstrate is the future model for ALL computer interaction, even for hardcore file server jockeys (though they will be the last hold-outs, since they are precisely the ones who design file managers). File manager softwares that do not evolve and adapt (away from reliance upon text input paradigms) have diminishing futures. Mark my words. It's just a matter of time.

Re: Some productivity tips

Posted: 08 Mar 2010, 15:34
by Jan Rysavy
John, interesting points! Can you see any file manager "doing it right"?
Windows Explorer? OSX Finder? Gnome Nautilus?

Re: Some productivity tips

Posted: 08 Mar 2010, 18:57
by JohnFredC
Jan Rysavy wrote:John, interesting points! Can you see any file manager "doing it right"?
Windows Explorer? OSX Finder? Gnome Nautilus?
Well, certainly not currently.

Have you seen the Microsoft Courier demo videos?

Here
Here

Ignore the pen/stylus input stuff and the general functional context presented in the demos (personal productivity tools, mostly) and consider how the dual-pane aspect of the Courier approach might apply to the design of a gestural, dual pane, file manager UI.

Hmmm. 8)

Re: Some productivity tips - mouse 0nly icon bars

Posted: 08 Mar 2010, 19:03
by Ether
JohnFredC wrote:This is an incredibly short-sighted remark, so much so I have to respond
Upon writing the adjective "mouse-centric", I immediately remembered your signature and thought you'd respond. Now, for the topic - I believe you're right and I don't refuse any advancement, I just stated the facts. I'd like to see those "well designed pointing-centric UI" and learn to use it, but until that I, personally, will stay with the keyboard.

Mouse vs. Keyboard?

Posted: 08 Mar 2010, 23:23
by th.
Maybe it's my poor English but I'm feeling a little bit lost here. As far as I know, AS can be used by keyboard and by mouse very well (yes, the toolbar icons are outdated and too small). I am changing between them depending on the task I'm about to do.

JohnFredC, I guess you are suggesting that mouse gestures should be introduced into AS.
So, for instance, you shake a ZIP-file with the mouse and it gets unzipped?

I can imagine that this could increase the efficiency of mouse usage. But it might not be easy to come up with a set of gestures that are useful and easy to learn but don't interfere with other mouse functions like drag and drop and the context menu.

Re: Some productivity tips

Posted: 09 Mar 2010, 03:23
by JohnFredC
Hi th.
JohnFredC, I guess you are suggesting that mouse gestures should be introduced into AS.
I don't mean to imply that all motion/gestural paradigms could be applied to a file manager UI. Of course there are gestural behaviors (shaking, as you mention) which might be a stretch for usefulness. But it is important to remember that drag & drop itself is a gesture, and a very efficient one at that. And yes, I must admit that the concept of flipping through file sets as if they are pages in a notebook does indeed appeal to me personally. Many of us employ similar gestures in our web browsers, to great effect.

One of my (perhaps less than subtle) points is that the need to maintain keyboard compatibility restricts the creativity developers apply to the GUI. At some point and as a practical matter, the complexity of the panels or drop locations or what-have-you motion efficiencies make it essentially impossible to design a keyboard interface that works with/benefits from all of them. In order to advance the GUI, some features/efficiencies would have to be denied to the keyboard boys. IMO it's that "must maintain compatibility with keyboard" perspective that is holding back file manager UI design. I have encountered attitudes in other forums where, if a proposed useful GUI feature makes no "keyboard" sense, its usefulness is denigrated, and its implementation either postponed or denied.

Consider the confusion for the keyboard interface offered by a dual pane file manager with dual trees, folder tabs on both sides, subordinate preview panels, etc. (Accelman, for instance, now defunct). A mouse (that is, point-select-gesture) user has no problem and can take advantage of the benefits offered by such an interface without being suborned by the complexity that faces a user who wants to "keyboard" all interaction with the tool.

I feel strongly that the GUI paradigm has much more to offer file manager tools than has heretofore been envisioned, even for those file activities that are primarily (or at least appear to be so from the perspective of historical interaction conventions) batch-oriented. Watch those MS Courier demos and apply what you see in them to a dual-pane file manager to get a taste for what I mean.

For advancements to be made, hands are going to have to come off those keyboards.

Re: Some productivity tips

Posted: 09 Mar 2010, 11:47
by Tomas Kopal
I agree that there are better ways to operate some applications than keyboard. But at least for me, mouse is not the correct approach. When there are computers with touch screes etc., then gestures makes the best sense. After all, I am long time user of a PDA with no keyboard at all.
But for table-top PCs with big screes in front of you, touchscreen is not an option. So IMHO, for the target hardware of AS, keyboard is still the best option.

Re: Some productivity tips

Posted: 09 Mar 2010, 13:34
by th.
Since there are different people with different likes and dislikes it is always good to let the user chose what he prefers.
However, I don't see a problem in implementing new functionality that can only be used with a mouse as long as the already existing keyboard functions are not removed.

For instance, you can go back and forth through the panel history with Alt+Left/Right or by clicking the toolbar buttons.
If as a new feature you could do this by scrolling the mouse wheel over the directory line it would be a gain for mouse users and no loss for anybody else.

Re: Some productivity tips

Posted: 09 Mar 2010, 22:41
by Ether
JohnFredC wrote:For advancements to be made, hands are going to have to come off those keyboards.
I feel that your attitude is not much better than mine when I first posted to this thread. I had refused the benefit of introducing mouse-oriented GUI, now you refuse to keep keyboard controls. It seems that according to your vision, the keyboard-centric people will be handicapped. That's not a solution, that's only replacing of one discriminating paradigm with another. I'm not talking only about deliberate keyboard-centrism; on notebooks, keyboard is still the number one option, as touchpads are generally uncomfortable and unproductive in comparison with classical mice.

Re: Some productivity tips

Posted: 10 Mar 2010, 02:41
by JohnFredC
Sorry, you misunderstood me or I wasn't clear in my writing.

I do not favor abandoning keyboard support in any software. There are plenty of handicapped users who need it, or need the assistant utilities that interact with the keyboard to enable functionality. Also, there is a very clearly defined subset of functionality that probably cannot be implemented (at least efficiently) any other way. Renaming, expression of complex search criteria (such as RegEx), etc.), all require a keyboard, whether hard or soft.

I'm just saying that for UI advances to be made, some features and usage efficiencies may not be available from the keyboard and that this fact acts as a deterrent to innovation, particularly in file manager software development.