Re: reinstall Windows 11 every two months

On Thu, 03 Apr 2025 05:31:10 -0400, Paul wrote:

 
All OSes are like that now, they copy things from elsewhere, until
they're all the same. the only thing that prevents some OS projects
from doing that, is a lack of manpower, not a lack of intent.
 

You are conflating the OS with the GUI, and more specifically, the
desktop environment (DE) which purposefully implements the desktop
metaphor (DM):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desktop_metaphor

The DM, IMO, is a very silly idea, but it is the accepted norm in most
GUIs with the exception of many GNU/Linux window managers (which are not
DEs).

I am, however, surprised that Micro$oft, in its eternal quest to appease
its idiot user base, has not implemented such features in its DE as
an "erasure" or "white out."

Every office worker knows about the erasure and white out.  Imagine picking
up an "erasure" and dragging it into an M$ Word document in order to remove,
or erase, some text.  What could be more natural?

We see a "paperclip" icon all over to indicate a file attachment but what about
a "stapler?"  Imagine selecting several documents in File Explorer and then
"stapling" them together.  Wouldn't that be natural -- and fun?

So there is a lot of room for "improvement" in the DE.

Are such things patentable?

A patent is granted only for those inventions that are surprising to one
skilled in the art.  I doubt if a digital "erasure" would be surprising
and hence patentable.  But MicroSoft's lawyers would doubtless find a way.

Eventually the GNOME/KDE folks would implement their own erasures and staplers.

That's progress.







--
Hail Linux!  Hail FOSS!  Hail Stallman!