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Analogy for explaining how a file is deleted?

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jaclaz
(@jaclaz)
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Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 5133
 

Yes, I should have mentioned that this hotel caters to demented travelers, and as a result most of the "Available Rooms" at any given time will have abandoned luggage in them, left behind by the previous goofy guest. wink

Allow me a sanity check.

I do understand the requirement that guest #1 is goofy, but then ALL guests n with n>1 need to be also big S.O.B. wink

I mean, if you go in a hotel room and find a suitcase do you actually throw it in the incinerator? 😯

Or you tell the management?

jaclaz


   
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BattleSpeed
(@battlespeed)
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Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 36
 

The new guest throwing the briefcase into the incinerator to make room for his own stuff is analogous to the new file overwriting the old one.

The idea that there might be unburned fragments of the briefcase found in the incinerator is (a bit less) analogous to the fact that the new file might not completely overwrite the old one (old file fragment in slack space).

As I said, it isn't perfect but it's been useful. I like some of the others mentioned in this thread also.

On the other hand, I've also been able to explain the concepts of sectors, clusters, file tables, deletion, slack space, etc. using simple visual graphics without resorting to any analogies at all. The subject isn't really that complex at the general conceptual level.


   
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(@trewmte)
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Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 1877
 

I would prefer some type of analogy to explain how a file is deleted. Very general and very dumbed down. Just seeing if you guys already had something.

Having a stab at a possible definition in the style you seek

Deletion
In general terms, the process by which a file is intentionally or unintentionally jettisoned; prevention of a user from immediately viewing and/or accessing a previously held file in a logical electronic filing system.


   
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jaclaz
(@jaclaz)
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Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 5133
 

The new guest throwing the briefcase into the incinerator to make room for his own stuff is analogous to the new file overwriting the old one.

Yes, the analogy is perfect. )

The point I was raising and I was wondering about was what a real new guest would do on average….and it seems to me not plausible, without assuming in advance that all new guests are clumsy (in order to always leave their suitcase behind) AND mad/malicious (in order to always throw found suitcases in the incinerator without telling anyone).

jaclaz


   
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BattleSpeed
(@battlespeed)
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Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 36
 

Odd behavior on the part of the guest, I admit (remember, I said they were demented) - but when you think about it, isn't the actual underlying process itself a bit odd? If so, we would have to expect oddities in our analogy as well.

If I were designing file management functions for a brand new OS, this certainly isn't how I'd do it. The logic that is still used for file management today is still distinctly influenced by anachronistic considerations from a time when HD speed was one-eigth RPD (revolutions per day) and drives had a total capacity of 18 bytes.


   
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jaclaz
(@jaclaz)
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Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 5133
 

The logic that is still used for file management today is still distinctly influenced by anachronistic considerations from a time when HD speed was one-eigth RPD (revolutions per day) and drives had a total capacity of 18 bytes.

Yep, the good ol' times
why in my day….
http//tinyapps.org/blog/2007/02/index.html
when we cared for each single byte
….. and we LIKED it!

jaclaz


   
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BattleSpeed
(@battlespeed)
Eminent Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 36
 

The logic that is still used for file management today is still distinctly influenced by anachronistic considerations from a time when HD speed was one-eigth RPD (revolutions per day) and drives had a total capacity of 18 bytes.

Yep, the good ol' times
why in my day….
http//tinyapps.org/blog/2007/02/index.html
when we cared for each single byte
….. and we LIKED it!

jaclaz

That link is hilarious, thanks (well, except for the gin & tonic all over my keyboard)…

Old guy #1 Why, in my day we didn't even have numbers. We had FINGERS, and we liked it!

Old guy #2 You had fingers? Piker! Why, in my day we didn't have fingers. We had FINS (one ventral, one dorsal), and we liked it!

Old guy #1 Well, in my day we didn't have them fancy MP3 players. If you wanted music, you strangled a cat.

Old guy #2 Anyone can choke a cat - and should. When we wanted music we heaved screaming virgins over the cliff… and we LIKED it!


   
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jaclaz
(@jaclaz)
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Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 5133
 

@BattleSpeed

Nice ones. mrgreen

…but you mean you don't use a keybrella? 😯
http//www.cartoonstock.com/directory/s/spilling_drink_on_computer_keyboard.asp

jaclaz


   
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BattleSpeed
(@battlespeed)
Eminent Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 36
 

@BattleSpeed

Nice ones. mrgreen

…but you mean you don't use a keybrella? 😯
http//www.cartoonstock.com/directory/s/spilling_drink_on_computer_keyboard.asp

jaclaz

I do, yes. Unfortunately, a demented guest materialized from my deletion analogy, checked into my room and chucked it down the incinerator chute. D

http//www.joke-archives.com/ponder/inmyday.html


   
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