Explain files and folders to dummies?

  • Thread starter Thread starter peter
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peter

I have several non computer savvy friends who don't seem to understand the
hiearchy file system structure. Very often they ask, where is the file I
just saved? Where is windows explorer?... despite having used computers for
years. It is as if these people don't use logic in their thoughts; they try
to memorize or write down everything I say about the computers without
trying to first make sense of them.

Has anyone found a book/video or other tutorial to explain the files/folders
concept?

Perhaps someone should come up with a fuzzy UI for people who don't think
very logically.
 
peter said:
I have several non computer savvy friends who don't seem to understand the
hiearchy file system structure. Very often they ask, where is the file I
just saved? Where is windows explorer?... despite having used computers for
years. It is as if these people don't use logic in their thoughts; they try
to memorize or write down everything I say about the computers without
trying to first make sense of them.

Has anyone found a book/video or other tutorial to explain the files/folders
concept?

Perhaps someone should come up with a fuzzy UI for people who don't think
very logically.
Click to expand...

Point to a set of filing cabinets?
 
The Windows for dummies book sounds like a good place to start them off.

No matter what the average computer user does, they seem to loose 50-60 IQ
points as soon as they sit down at the keyboard.
 
Hi Peter, I share your frustration

This is how I *try* to explain it -

Picture a filing cabinet - relate that your hard drive.
In the filing cabinet are drawers - relate that to your main folders like
Windows etc
In the drawers you have miscellanous folders where you label them and put
your important papers in such as tax, banking, household etc - these are sub
folders and the important papers that you put in are files.

Then you explain to them which drawers they should not be looking in etc

It works if someone is familiar with a filing cabinet and drawers and the
folders within the drawers etc. You may have to draw pictures as you explain
it.
 
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