Jaguar - Type/Creator and Metadata

From iGeek
Jump to: navigation, search

These are nerdier concepts but important for users. Type/Creator - the #1 issue for anyone who uses a Mac and Jaguar. There have been large articles and threads, and forums dedicated to this. Is Apple listening? This is really many issues because of all the things not having a good metadata scheme means to the average user. The average user doesn't ask for metadata; they ask for the behaviors that good metadata will give them. This is universally the most glaring thing that is needed and I'll list just some of the things that it effects:

  • 👎Filenames : I want to be in control of filenames, not have the OS tell me what I can call things, make things disappear because I put a period in front of something, or suddenly change icon and behavior. Filenames are MINE, not yours! Stop telling me what I can do with them! Arguing that you're not as completely moronic about hiding them as Microsoft is, is no consolation. It used to work far better.
  • 👎File behaviors : I want to be able to have one document of a given type open in one app, and another of the same type open in a different app, and have it work correctly. Files are mine, not yours! Stop telling me how they will work. Jaguar was a big step backwards thanks to NeXT's NIH and ignoring how Type/Creator was better than file extensions.
  • 👎Drag and drop : this used to work. I could drag and drop documents onto other apps and they would highlight if they could handle that type. Now it is done by what they are named; but sometimes the names and behaviors don't sync. I have documents that are misnamed all the time, or I don't have a choice -- it should still not break.

And so on. There are hundreds of issues with the lack of type/creator and metadata. To be fair, old Apple made things harder than they needed to be too. You should have been able to fix type/creator from "Get Info" box, and there should have been better global management of both. But extensions aren't better in most ways and are worse most. This is the most glaring hole in OS X. Fix it.

My grandma does not need to know that if she starts her file with a period it will disappear. It isn't that hard and it used to work! Windows and UNIX are getting better about metadata, and the Mac has gotten worse. Fix it!

Don't deny it sucks, don't try to sell me that your OS might suck but it doesn't suck as bad as others. Just fix it!

And if you just told people you heard them and that you were working on it for a future version instead of ignoring them (or trying to market your solution to them) then they wouldn't be so damn pissed off. [end of rant]