Comments on: Do you use spatial organization? http://dubroy.com/blog/2007/07/31/do-you-use-spatial-organization/ on programming, usability, and design; by Patrick Dubroy Mon, 08 Sep 2008 06:44:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Chris http://dubroy.com/blog/2007/07/31/do-you-use-spatial-organization/#comment-1828 Wed, 01 Aug 2007 19:05:31 +0000 http://dubroy.com/blog/2007/07/31/do-you-use-spatial-organization/#comment-1828 <p>I do.</p> <p>I was chatting with some people at work about this the other day.</p> <p>Anything I download drops onto my desktop. A lot of 'short term' projects stay on my desktop. Longer term things get properly 'filed' and such somewhere else. </p> <p>Currently, things are a bit sparse. But, I have a few spreadsheets and some graphics I was working with. Also a local copy of a web application that I'm working on. Most of my applications are in Vista 'sidebar' thingy. </p> <p>I don't really like tree structures as a way to organize my e-life. So, until a point that I have to do it, I tend to keep things as flat as I can, and close at hand. </p> <p>On my iBook, I don't even pay attention to where I drop things, as I tend to pull them up with desktop search. On the other hand, OSX makes accessing the desktop very nice (F11 I think?) ... which makes it even more appealing to stack it full of crap.</p> <p>I'm not really sold on the idea of using the 'desktop' like a real desk, but, it seems like I'm using it that way. Thus far, it's just the easiest way I've found to keep my current work close at hand.</p> <p>Chris.</p> I do.

I was chatting with some people at work about this the other day.

Anything I download drops onto my desktop. A lot of ’short term’ projects stay on my desktop. Longer term things get properly ‘filed’ and such somewhere else.

Currently, things are a bit sparse. But, I have a few spreadsheets and some graphics I was working with. Also a local copy of a web application that I’m working on. Most of my applications are in Vista ’sidebar’ thingy.

I don’t really like tree structures as a way to organize my e-life. So, until a point that I have to do it, I tend to keep things as flat as I can, and close at hand.

On my iBook, I don’t even pay attention to where I drop things, as I tend to pull them up with desktop search. On the other hand, OSX makes accessing the desktop very nice (F11 I think?) … which makes it even more appealing to stack it full of crap.

I’m not really sold on the idea of using the ‘desktop’ like a real desk, but, it seems like I’m using it that way. Thus far, it’s just the easiest way I’ve found to keep my current work close at hand.

Chris.

]]> by: e http://dubroy.com/blog/2007/07/31/do-you-use-spatial-organization/#comment-1827 Wed, 01 Aug 2007 17:21:33 +0000 http://dubroy.com/blog/2007/07/31/do-you-use-spatial-organization/#comment-1827 <p>I don't, mostly because I try to avoid using a mouse (I have RSI). Even if I didn't, the workflow of spatial organization seems to be onerous: </p> <ol> <li>Find a way to access the space that contains the items I care about (eg: minimize windows to access the desktop, open a filebrowser that respects the physical organization I've imposed on my stuff)</li> <li>Navigate around the space, possibly manipulating scroll bars, or window dimensions</li> <li>Activate the thing I care about</li> <li>If the space is hierarchical, goto 1.</li> </ol> <p>I usually know part of the name of the thing I'm looking for, and its general location. On Windows, this means that I hit the appropriate directory, then start typing to find the item. On Linux, this means I either use a find or grep my history. In Eclipse, I use a wildcard or two to open up the search space.</p> I don’t, mostly because I try to avoid using a mouse (I have RSI). Even if I didn’t, the workflow of spatial organization seems to be onerous:

  1. Find a way to access the space that contains the items I care about (eg: minimize windows to access the desktop, open a filebrowser that respects the physical organization I’ve imposed on my stuff)
  2. Navigate around the space, possibly manipulating scroll bars, or window dimensions
  3. Activate the thing I care about
  4. If the space is hierarchical, goto 1.

I usually know part of the name of the thing I’m looking for, and its general location. On Windows, this means that I hit the appropriate directory, then start typing to find the item. On Linux, this means I either use a find or grep my history. In Eclipse, I use a wildcard or two to open up the search space.

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