The desktop pile · Mon Jun 26, 06:44 AM

This video (demonstration of the “BumpTop” 3D desktop interface) has a lot of buzz at the moment, most of it negative. Most people are saying things along the lines of “that idea is so old / played / useless” and “cute but why would you need that?”. You know what? I’d kill for that interface. Here’s what I currently face:

I have several documents folder that are about 10% organized using each of several different organizational techniques. This is worse than useless. I have files named according to a centralized specific naming scheme, files organized into folders based on topic / date / sphere of utility / randomness, and files with metadata. Every now and then when the bug bites me, I sort through my documents and try and figure out what needs deletion, what I should archive, and what the hell I do with the rest of it. Here are the techniques I have available:

• View by file type. Then I can browse through, for example, the PDF files.
• View by metadata. This only works on the files with metadata, and generally those don’t even use the same consistent scheme.
• View by date. Often older files can be archived, but not always. Only mildly useful.
• View by size.
• View by title. This is somewhat useful for those files named with a consistent, informative naming scheme…which is not very many.
• View with thumbnails. This is only useful for files that support thumbnailing.

All of this is done either through Explorer or the command line. To “organize” files while I go through them, I either rename them or move them somewhere else. There is no convenient way to say “OK, I recognize that these particular PDFs are development-related info, some of which may be useful, so I’ll stick them in this temporary holding spot while I look through the other PDFs.” (Actually, I could do this by creating a folder and putting them there, but then I get interrupted / bored / tired, stop the organization, lose context, forget that I moved some files, and have lost them more or less for good. If I wanted that outcome, I’d just randomly pick files to delete.) The ability to use the nifty piling UI stuff would make this organization easier, as well as keep me amused enough to make larger swathes through my junk :).
This would also be very useful for sorting through my OneNote notebook, which is becoming the single-file equivalent of my documents folders; my “Media” folder, where I store pictures, sounds, videos, and the like; my bookmarks (which are a small rendition of disorganization hell); and my e-mail (I use Nelson E-mail Organizer, which helps some, but not enough).

So, to all you nay-sayers…fie! Just because you wouldn’t use it doesn’t mean that nobody would use it. Quit dumping on the parade.

-- David --

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