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>"type cp filefromyada toyada and press enter" so hit the 't' key, followed by the 'y' key ,,, followed by the enter key to copy this file. While this is a tri

>"type cp filefromyada toyada and press enter" so hit the 't' key, followed by the 'y' key ,,, followed by the enter key to copy this file. While this is a trite example, how many linux how-do-I-do-this's get resolved with copy this command with half a dozen flags[0] into your terminal? The underlying problem with CLI is they lack information about the underlying structural logic and discoverability about the interaction. This makes it hard to impossible to extend 'copy this file' to 'open this file', or 'make this file read only'. In a (decent) GUI once 'left-click select' 'double-click open' and 'right-click options' is understood the rest is spelled out. Unlike with a CLI, where one needs to remember 'ls'[1] there are only two buttons on a mouse. I absolutely agree GUI changes - especially paradigm changes - are a plague though. [0]Which invariably seem to have a different obtuse formatting from the last command I had to copy. [1]Which stands for what anyway?

mike_hock 4y ago
> Which stands for what anyway? I'd always figured it stood for something like "listing" but if it doesn't, who cares, no one's gonna have a problem remembering it. > there are only two buttons on a mouse There are 3 buttons on the mouse, plus 3-4 modifier keys (shift, alt, control, logo) on the keyboard, which are sometimes used in combination. Usually not more than 2 modifier keys are used at a time, so that gives us four (single mod) plus four choose two (two mods) modifier combinations, times three for each mouse button, equals 30 different actions, which are usually not well discoverable.
jvdvegt 4y ago
@[1]: 'list', I assume.
xorcist 4y ago
With half a dozen flags you're talking about an operation like "hard link all the files older than a week, preserving metadata", which honestly would not be easy for the average user independently of the user interface used.
justsomehnguy 4y ago
> 1]Which stands for what anyway? Ahhah. My favourite question when some fanboy starts to evangelize the ease of use. It's 'list segments', from Multics, AFAIK.
- oneeyedpigeon 4y ago
  You could say the same thing about double-clicking — what does that 'stand for'? Thankfully, in either case, it really doesn't matter. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, of course. Maybe 'double click a file to open it' is easier to remember than 'ls means show files' but 'when do i double-click and when do I single-click' is notoriously difficult for novice users to remember.

mike_hock 4y ago

> Which stands for what anyway? I'd always figured it stood for something like "listing" but if it doesn't, who cares, no one's gonna have a problem remembering it. > there are only two buttons on a mouse There are 3 buttons on the mouse, plus 3-4 modifier keys (shift, alt, control, logo) on the keyboard, which are sometimes used in combination. Usually not more than 2 modifier keys are used at a time, so that gives us four (single mod) plus four choose two (two mods) modifier combinations, times three for each mouse button, equals 30 different actions, which are usually not well discoverable.

jvdvegt 4y ago

@[1]: 'list', I assume.

xorcist 4y ago

With half a dozen flags you're talking about an operation like "hard link all the files older than a week, preserving metadata", which honestly would not be easy for the average user independently of the user interface used.

justsomehnguy 4y ago

> 1]Which stands for what anyway? Ahhah. My favourite question when some fanboy starts to evangelize the ease of use. It's 'list segments', from Multics, AFAIK.

oneeyedpigeon 4y ago
You could say the same thing about double-clicking — what does that 'stand for'? Thankfully, in either case, it really doesn't matter. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, of course. Maybe 'double click a file to open it' is easier to remember than 'ls means show files' but 'when do i double-click and when do I single-click' is notoriously difficult for novice users to remember.