Re: How to compare one folder to one directory (was: How to compare contents of two folders against third one?)

[Nicolas George <george@nsup.org>]

Michael Kjörling (12023-11-02):
> I don't have a reference handy, but I do distinctly recall reading
> that Microsoft introduced the term "folder" specifically to also be
> able to refer to a concept of "something which is _not_ a directory
> but containing a collection of some kind of items".
> 
> Things like "My Computer", "Network Neighborhood", "Printers",
> "Control Panel" and so on.
> 
> IBM also used the term "folder" no later than by OS/2 2.0 [1], but I'm
> not sure how far-ranging their usage of the term was. That would be
> contemporary with early betas of Windows 95, which introduced the term
> in Microsoft's ecosystem (they used the term "folder" in mid-1993[2],
> and Wikipedia puts a first OS/2 2.0 release at October 1991).

Exactly. The word “folder” belongs in the “computers are too complicated
for you so we'll make them guess what you want to do and pretend they're
easy but it's normal if they crash” mentality where we cannot get the
computer to do what you want because it is second-guessing our
instructions: vague and not suited for technical communication.

Regards,

-- 
  Nicolas George