Attach files?

the ubiquetis "Attach files" is really
"attach a document"... it leads
one to wonder what country and language is the programming
completed.
Why is it so wrong it won't allow you to attach anything
like a file
just a bare document.
 Is it that hard to get the proper terminology on a page. Or
do you
think most users are idiots.


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I'm not sure I understand. There are various languages you
can set
your interface to. For example, in US English I see
"Attach a file".
When I click on it, I can attach any file type. Does yours
only let
you attach documents?

Fanis


On 5/24/06, fuzmortengmail.com <fuzmortengmail.com> wrote:
>
> the ubiquetis "Attach files" is really
"attach a document"... it leads
> one to wonder what country and language is the
programming completed.
> Why is it so wrong it won't allow you to attach
anything like a file
> just a bare document.
>  Is it that hard to get the proper terminology on a
page. Or do you
> think most users are idiots.
>
>
> >
>

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I am aware of "file" having the meaning of a
physical collection of
items, mostly documents. It never occured to me that
"file" could be
confused for "folder" in a computer context,
mostly because they are
usually mentioned together. "Go to the xxy folder and
open the yyw
file". I suppose it could be an issue though.

Personally I find "Attach a file" pretty clear,
but it could be
ambiguous for the first time user who may think a folder
could also be
attached but can't select one in the file browser that pops
up. How
would you remove the ambiguity?

Fanis


On 5/24/06, APB <apbarrygmail.com> wrote:
> I wonder if the disconnect here is between tech-speak
and ordinary English.
>
> In ordinary English, a "file" is usually
something that contains multiple
> items (pieces of paper, documents, etc.)  It can be
synonymous with
> "folder".
>
> In tech-speak, at least of the Windows variety, a file
is a single item, be
> it a document or some other usable bit of stuff.
>
> I don't know when/how the tech-speak
"file" got started, but I know that it
> was confusing to me at first, and has confused
innumerable clients of mine.
> (I do low-level computing support.)
>
>
> On 5/24/06, Fanis Hatzidakis
<theofanis.hatzidakisgmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > I'm not sure I understand. There are various
languages you can set
> > your interface to. For example, in US English I
see "Attach a file".
> > When I click on it, I can attach any file type.
Does yours only let
> > you attach documents?
> >
> > Fanis
> >
> > On 5/24/06, fuzmortengmail.com <fuzmortengmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > the ubiquetis "Attach files" is
really "attach a document"... it leads
> > > one to wonder what country and language is
the programming completed.
> > > Why is it so wrong it won't allow you to
attach anything like a file
> > > just a bare document.
> > >  Is it that hard to get the proper
terminology on a page. Or do you
> > > think most users are idiots.
>
>
>  >
>

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I can vouch for it's being an issue!!  I can remember back
to my own
novice days, and I've had to explain it to lots of users.

As to how to remove the ambiguity?  I don't think it's
possible; the
word "file" meaning a single item is too firmly
entrenched in the
culture of computing. Eventually there will be no more adult
first-timers to be confused about it.

For now, I usually just explain it ... as many times as it
takes. I
just regret it when I don't get the chance to explain.  (I
distribute
customized music files to our local chorus, and there are
all too many
folks who won't go near an attachment. Navigation boxes are
too
scary!)

On 5/24/06, Fanis Hatzidakis <theofanis.hatzidakisgmail.com> wrote:
>
> I am aware of "file" having the meaning of
a physical collection of
> items, mostly documents. It never occured to me that
"file" could be
> confused for "folder" in a computer
context, mostly because they are
> usually mentioned together. "Go to the xxy folder
and open the yyw
> file". I suppose it could be an issue though.
>
> Personally I find "Attach a file" pretty
clear, but it could be
> ambiguous for the first time user who may think a
folder could also be
> attached but can't select one in the file browser that
pops up. How
> would you remove the ambiguity?
>
> Fanis
>
>
> On 5/24/06, APB <apbarrygmail.com> wrote:
> > I wonder if the disconnect here is between
tech-speak and ordinary English.
> >
> > In ordinary English, a "file" is
usually something that contains multiple
> > items (pieces of paper, documents, etc.)  It can
be synonymous with
> > "folder".
> >
> > In tech-speak, at least of the Windows variety, a
file is a single item, be
> > it a document or some other usable bit of stuff.
> >
> > I don't know when/how the tech-speak
"file" got started, but I know that it
> > was confusing to me at first, and has confused
innumerable clients of mine.
> > (I do low-level computing support.)
> >
> >
> > On 5/24/06, Fanis Hatzidakis
<theofanis.hatzidakisgmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > I'm not sure I understand. There are various
languages you can set
> > > your interface to. For example, in US English
I see "Attach a file".
> > > When I click on it, I can attach any file
type. Does yours only let
> > > you attach documents?
> > >
> > > Fanis
> > >
> > > On 5/24/06, fuzmortengmail.com <fuzmortengmail.com> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > the ubiquetis "Attach files"
is really "attach a document"... it leads
> > > > one to wonder what country and language
is the programming completed.
> > > > Why is it so wrong it won't allow you
to attach anything like a file
> > > > just a bare document.
> > > >  Is it that hard to get the proper
terminology on a page. Or do you
> > > > think most users are idiots.
> >
> >
> >  >
> >
>
> >
>

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Perhaps some text of this sort to act as warning: "In
order to attach
an entire folder with many files inside it, consider zipping
it up
first". That would atleast give a hint when mentioned
near "Attach a
file". Still, I don't know if that's a common use
case. Most people
will just want to send a specific file, or only few (lets
say
pictures). A whole folder? It sounds like a rare case, but
ofcourse I
could simply not be thinking of the right use case for it.

Fanis


On 5/24/06, APB <apbarrygmail.com> wrote:
>
> I can vouch for it's being an issue!!  I can remember
back to my own
> novice days, and I've had to explain it to lots of
users.
>
> As to how to remove the ambiguity?  I don't think
it's possible; the
> word "file" meaning a single item is too
firmly entrenched in the
> culture of computing. Eventually there will be no more
adult
> first-timers to be confused about it.
>
> For now, I usually just explain it ... as many times as
it takes. I
> just regret it when I don't get the chance to explain.
 (I distribute
> customized music files to our local chorus, and there
are all too many
> folks who won't go near an attachment. Navigation
boxes are too
> scary!)
>
> On 5/24/06, Fanis Hatzidakis
<theofanis.hatzidakisgmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > I am aware of "file" having the
meaning of a physical collection of
> > items, mostly documents. It never occured to me
that "file" could be
> > confused for "folder" in a computer
context, mostly because they are
> > usually mentioned together. "Go to the xxy
folder and open the yyw
> > file". I suppose it could be an issue
though.
> >
> > Personally I find "Attach a file"
pretty clear, but it could be
> > ambiguous for the first time user who may think a
folder could also be
> > attached but can't select one in the file browser
that pops up. How
> > would you remove the ambiguity?
> >
> > Fanis
> >
> >
> > On 5/24/06, APB <apbarrygmail.com> wrote:
> > > I wonder if the disconnect here is between
tech-speak and ordinary English.
> > >
> > > In ordinary English, a "file" is
usually something that contains multiple
> > > items (pieces of paper, documents, etc.)  It
can be synonymous with
> > > "folder".
> > >
> > > In tech-speak, at least of the Windows
variety, a file is a single item, be
> > > it a document or some other usable bit of
stuff.
> > >
> > > I don't know when/how the tech-speak
"file" got started, but I know that it
> > > was confusing to me at first, and has
confused innumerable clients of mine.
> > > (I do low-level computing support.)
> > >
> > >
> > > On 5/24/06, Fanis Hatzidakis
<theofanis.hatzidakisgmail.com> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > I'm not sure I understand. There are
various languages you can set
> > > > your interface to. For example, in US
English I see "Attach a file".
> > > > When I click on it, I can attach any
file type. Does yours only let
> > > > you attach documents?
> > > >
> > > > Fanis
> > > >
> > > > On 5/24/06, fuzmortengmail.com
<fuzmortengmail.com> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > the ubiquetis "Attach
files" is really "attach a document"... it
leads
> > > > > one to wonder what country and
language is the programming completed.
> > > > > Why is it so wrong it won't allow
you to attach anything like a file
> > > > > just a bare document.
> > > > >  Is it that hard to get the proper
terminology on a page. Or do you
> > > > > think most users are idiots.
> > >
> > >
> > >  >
> > >
> >
> > >
> >
>
> >
>

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