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Computer Files Are Going Extinct

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Re: Computer Files Are Going Extinct

#51

Post by Trav5 »

dreamcompiler wrote: post #43
ACS_Solver wrote: post #12

One of my greatest culture shocks in terms of technology was around 6 years ago when I received an iPad, having no experience with Apple products. After the initial setup, the first thing I wanted was to transfer some files - TV episodes and PDFs - to the device. My first attempt was to SSH into it, only to discover that's not an option, and would require a third-party app store and jailbreak. Then I just connected t…

The original iPod was a Firewire hard drive; you could connect it to your Mac and use it as a backup volume if you wanted. Apple took all that away a long time ago, and obviously it wasn't for technical reasons. It was so Apple could control and restrict how the customer used their devices. One of the many reasons why I changed from an Apple fan to an Apple hater.

Ha, that's how I got my boss to buy me one. I backed up the server and carried my music around with me. Now I just carry a portable hard drive...

Re: Computer Files Are Going Extinct

#52

Post by benj111 »

peterangular wrote: post #15
ACS_Solver wrote: post #12

One of my greatest culture shocks in terms of technology was around 6 years ago when I received an iPad, having no experience with Apple products. After the initial setup, the first thing I wanted was to transfer some files - TV episodes and PDFs - to the device. My first attempt was to SSH into it, only to discover that's not an option, and would require a third-party app store and jailbreak. Then I just connected t…

Yep - had the same experience because I got into Procreate with the pencil and all (which is amazing). Had the same exact experience. It's a great device but I feel like they're dumbing computing down too much =(

"Procreate with the pencil"

Some things you really need to keep to yourself.

Re: Computer Files Are Going Extinct

#53

Post by fit2rule »

maliker wrote: post #26

I don't understand how people can get work done in the post-file world. Any project I've got that's more complicated than a todo list has text files, images, code, links to websites, emails, and typeset documents. The only thing that holds all that stuff, organizes it into folders, lets me edit/run it, and makes the content searchable is a filesystem. Maybe my standards for usability are too high.

At work I am constantly battle the following sources of crufty bollocks: the ftp server, the windows-share fileserver, the 'one the linux guys use' (its ssh..), the jira ticket-attachments, the confluence 'pages', peoples mobile-phones, and so on.

If only all of these OS's just had one single, shared, reliable filesystem they could all mount and/or mirror, without .. oh, I get it .. I just install another 3rd-party app ..

C'mon, OS vendors. Pop the cloud already.

Re: Computer Files Are Going Extinct

#54

Post by tonyedgecombe »

_Understated_ wrote: post #37

> all culture, raging over us, for $12.99 a month (or $15.99 for HD) as long as we keep up our payments like good economic entities. When we stop paying, we’re left with nothing. No files. The service is revoked. This is the most frightening thing for me... by far: the concept that I no longer have control of the destiny of my own shit. Mine. Stuff I created. I understand the concept of how cloud storage works: "hey,…

Out of all my data, music and video is the thing I worry about least. I'm not going to lose my business or job because Apple Music stops working or I can't see the latest Netflix series. The last thing I want to spend my time doing is managing and worrying about terabytes of media.

Re: Computer Files Are Going Extinct

#55

Post by falcolas »

benj111 wrote: post #49
chrisseaton wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> My first attempt was to SSH into it Come on that’s not a sensible thing to expect from a non-specialist device, is it? I’m not sure this is a reasonable criticism.

> and would require a third-party app store and jailbreak. Maybe not reasonable to expect it built in, I shouldn't have the jailbreak my own device though.

It’s not your device. Or rather, you may own the hardware, but you don’t own the software on the device. You agreed to that in one of the many clickwrap EULAs you were presented with.

Now then, don’t you feel so much better? /s

Re: Computer Files Are Going Extinct

#56

Post by galad87 »

ACS_Solver wrote: post #12

One of my greatest culture shocks in terms of technology was around 6 years ago when I received an iPad, having no experience with Apple products. After the initial setup, the first thing I wanted was to transfer some files - TV episodes and PDFs - to the device. My first attempt was to SSH into it, only to discover that's not an option, and would require a third-party app store and jailbreak. Then I just connected t…

And then they added the Files app and brought back all the classic file handling. Because it was impossible to work with files siloed inside apps.

Re: Computer Files Are Going Extinct

#57

Post by barrkel »

lbotos wrote: post #29
barrkel wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I found it immediately limiting - either you put your stuff in one of the preordained categories like music, movies, photos, videos (and pretty much nothing else), or your stuff is siloed in whatever specific application you load it into. That's not a tool you can use to create things with, unless it's music, movies, photos or videos. It lacked the freedom to permit innovation. (I have never acquired an iPad beyond t…

What did you want to create with it, that you couldn't? My parents went from "scared of computers" to "ipad" pros, because it's really hard to break or get hacked, it doesn't get viruses they know how to force quit an app. I'm scared of iPad getting files now, because it's going to be a mess for me.

For me, files are the centre of the world, while apps come and go, companies come and go. Data is what lasts, and why it's so important to control it.

I'd want to use command line tools - or UI's that are just as composable - to manipulate my files.

The iPad perspective just seems completely crippled from the POV. Like a toy.

Just to take an example - look at the Moon article also on the front page right now: https://medium.com/@sulej.robert/the-moon-made-twice-at-home...

Re: Computer Files Are Going Extinct

#58

Post by [deleted] »

benj111 wrote: post #49
chrisseaton wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> My first attempt was to SSH into it Come on that’s not a sensible thing to expect from a non-specialist device, is it? I’m not sure this is a reasonable criticism.

> and would require a third-party app store and jailbreak. Maybe not reasonable to expect it built in, I shouldn't have the jailbreak my own device though.

[deleted]

Re: Computer Files Are Going Extinct

#59

Post by ACS_Solver »

chrisseaton wrote: post #35
ACS_Solver wrote: post #12

One of my greatest culture shocks in terms of technology was around 6 years ago when I received an iPad, having no experience with Apple products. After the initial setup, the first thing I wanted was to transfer some files - TV episodes and PDFs - to the device. My first attempt was to SSH into it, only to discover that's not an option, and would require a third-party app store and jailbreak. Then I just connected t…

> My first attempt was to SSH into it Come on that’s not a sensible thing to expect from a non-specialist device, is it? I’m not sure this is a reasonable criticism.

Well, sure, I didn't expect it to be running a SSH server right away, but I was hoping to have a SSH option somewhere in the settings or, in the worst case, a downloadable app. It's a power user feature of course, but knowing that it's a Unix-based device, I absolutely expected easy SSH access. Then again, this is something that happened a lot with my brief use of iOS - I would repeatedly find that Apple clearly didn't intend for power user features to be accessed.

I have no experience with OS X so don't know if the same applies there.

Re: Computer Files Are Going Extinct

#60

Post by zozbot234 »

fit2rule wrote: post #53
maliker wrote: post #26

I don't understand how people can get work done in the post-file world. Any project I've got that's more complicated than a todo list has text files, images, code, links to websites, emails, and typeset documents. The only thing that holds all that stuff, organizes it into folders, lets me edit/run it, and makes the content searchable is a filesystem. Maybe my standards for usability are too high.

At work I am constantly battle the following sources of crufty bollocks: the ftp server, the windows-share fileserver, the 'one the linux guys use' (its ssh..), the jira ticket-attachments, the confluence 'pages', peoples mobile-phones, and so on. If only all of these OS's just had one single, shared, reliable filesystem they could all mount and/or mirror, without .. oh, I get it .. I just install another 3rd-party a…

> If only all of these OS's just had one single, shared, reliable filesystem they could all mount and/or mirror

A local file system? UDF does the job.

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