I used to think that a metadata based file system was a really bad idea until two things happened. I read Jef Raskin's "The Humane Interface" and I watched peo

I used to think that a metadata based file system was a really bad idea until two things happened. I read Jef Raskin's "The Humane Interface" and I watched people use web apps and 'database' apps like iTunes. In THI, Raskin covers the idea that the best filename for any given file is the file itself. If I save a copy of this comment on my computer, I might call it "HN - Desktop Metaphor/Hierarchical Filesystems". That's a lousy name. Three months down the road when I'm trying to remember where I quoted 'the best filename for any given file is the file itself', it's much more convenient to type in that phrase instead of trying to remember where I put the file. There are two arguments against this approach, both with good counter-arguments. First, if you love your hierarchy, nobody is taking it away from you. When you save a file, instead of being asked for a filename, you might be prompted for search tags. Type in a hierarchical file name there (eg. /comments/hackernews/hierarchical filesystems"). Second, what about files with no good textual metadata? A movie file, an image, etc. I can't just type in 'movie' and look through them until I find the one I want. In this case, the system could detect that there's no indexable metadata attached to a file when you go to close it and request that you add a tag. This is no larger burden than adding a filename now. Of course, ideally you'd never have to 'Save' a file, just delete files you didn't want to save, so instead of 'Save' in the menu bar, you might have an 'Tag' item instead. The other reason I think metadata based systems are feasible is by watching people use software like iTunes or web apps. As long as the applications that manipulate your data present a reasonable interface for navigating said data, it doesn't matter where the file is actually stored. Watch an end user play some music with iTunes and see if they ever even care where their files are. (Preferably someone without a CompSci degree, we tend to have wacky ideas about needing to know everything about the machine.)