XPost: alt.os.linux, comp.sys.amiga.advocacy   
   From: SPAMjasonzc@yahoo.com   
      
   Lew Pitcher  wrote in   
   news:rCMwb.6996$Eq1.838168@news20.bellglobal.com:   
      
   > Ivan Marsh wrote:   
   >   
   >> On Mon, 24 Nov 2003 23:44:22 +0000, Support the War on Freedom wrote:   
   >>   
   >>   
   >>>I like the BeOS demo of downloading a file, and saving it with an   
   >>>incorrect extension, moving the target file as it downloads, etc.   
   >>>BeOS always knows how to open every file, correctly named or not.   
   >>>   
   >>>Don't try that with Windows, of course. Linux is a bit rigid in this   
   >>>regard as well.   
   >>   
   >>   
   >> Why in the hell would you want your OS to do that?   
      
      
   Why would I want some intelligence in my operating system?   
      
      
   > If I change a file   
   >> extension, I'm doing it for a reason (usually because I DON'T want   
   >> the file to open in the default manner).   
   >   
   > Agreed. And even more so without changing extensions.   
      
   Well... some operating systems have better ways of handling this sort of   
   thing. I'm pretty sure even Windows will let you decide how to open a   
   file.   
      
   Right?   
      
      
   > For instance, what should the "default action" be for a file that ends   
   > with .C (as in Something.C)? Should it be to open it in a text editor?   
   > Or should it be to compile it into a .O file using a C compiler? For   
   > that matter, should it be to open it in your favourite archiving   
   > program (because the first archive is .A, the second is .B, and the   
   > third is .C)?   
      
      
      
      
      
   Here's a thought: Why not let the user decide what the default action   
   should be?   
      
      
      
      
   > Why should this be an /operating system/ activity at all? I don't see   
   > it as such, especially when you are talking about which /user   
   > selected/ /application program/ should handle the file.   
   >   
   >   
      
   Wow. If either of you have used BeOS, I don't think we'd see so many   
   silly statements flying around right now.   
      
      
   MIME-typing. Look into it. Start with the Amiga and BeOS.   
      
      
   I'm guess neither of you have any inkling as to what the BeOS translator   
   library does, either. Right?   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)