Re: Need for a creator code?
Re: Need for a creator code?
- Subject: Re: Need for a creator code?
- From: Scott Ribe <email@hidden>
- Date: Fri, 04 Apr 2008 12:06:35 -0600
- Thread-topic: Need for a creator code?
> When I save a JPEG file in an image editing app, and later open it, I
> expect it to open in Preview (or whatever my default image viewer is),
> not the image editing app.
When I *create* an image in an image editing app and later open it, I expect
it to open in the app with which I created it, and I think most users really
do expect the same behavior as well. I won't participate in a long contest
on this subject, but I do work directly and extensively with end users, and
think you are just simply wrong on this point--it surprises users to create
a document, later double-click it, and have it open in a different
application.
Rephrase your argument just a bit, 2 ways: "When I save a DOC file in
Microsoft Word and later open it, I expect it to open in TextEdit (or
whatever my default text viewer is)..." *OR* "When I save an RTF file in
TextEdit and later open it, I expect it to open in Microsoft Word (or
whatever my default RTF viewer is)... Uhhhm, no, or if you do expect that
then you think somewhat differently than the majority of your end users ;-)
> This is especially true if someone else
> opens the image...
> ...but since most uses of documents
> over time tend to be to view, using the user's default viewing app is
> a more reasonable default.
Yes, if I'm creating an image for distribution to people who will mostly
only view the media, then I *might* need to strip (or modify) the creator
code before distributing the file.
> ...but since most uses of documents
> over time tend to be to view...
That really, really sticks out for 2 reasons: 1) for the person creating the
documents, that's not so true and 2) it really hints at the MS/media cartel
attitude that users are, or ideally should be, mere passive consumers...
> As I mentioned, users can override this if they wish for individual
> documents, through Finder.
Which is a pain in the ass. How often do you really think users create a
document in one go and never edit it again??? For the documents that users
actually create, rather than consume, they edit them quite often--usually
far more often than just viewing them.
> In general most apps these days do not set the creator code on
> documents.
Those that have unique extensions don't, but for those that use common
extensions there are an awful lot that do--I know, I use them every day.
--
Scott Ribe
email@hidden
http://www.killerbytes.com/
(303) 722-0567 voice
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