Timeline for answer to Why did Microsoft choose the word "Recycle Bin"? by uliwitness
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
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| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Apr 22, 2014 at 17:55 | comment | added | O. R. Mapper | @uliwitness: Funnily, the "delete" key moves files into the recycle bin instead of "deleting" them. (Only Shift + "delete" key immediately deletes.) So, what does it have to do with the "delete" key? | |
| Apr 22, 2014 at 17:49 | comment | added | DA01 | A literal metaphor, perhaps, but in terms of a GUI metaphor, they're pretty much equal. It's very clear to the user that this is 'going away'. Whether one throws something in the trash vs. recycle bin, it's gone, and that's all the user cares about. | |
| Apr 22, 2014 at 17:29 | comment | added | uliwitness | Because the "delete" key has "delete" written on it and they didn't want to change all keyboard hardware? Keep in mind, the original implementation of this (in MacOS) called it Trash, not Recycle. Even though you could take items back out. The command there wasn't called "delete" (which would be immediate) but "Move to Trash". | |
| Apr 22, 2014 at 17:25 | comment | added | O. R. Mapper | @uliwitness: Then why is delete (as in, immediate deletion, without using the recycle bin) not named recycle? | |
| Apr 22, 2014 at 17:18 | comment | added | uliwitness | @O. R. Mapper The primary definitions for the word "recycle" on Merriam-Webster imply that an object is in some way made into something new. (The closest to your meaning is "use again", but that's the 3rd in the list) What you're talking about would more aptly be called "restore". | |
| Apr 21, 2014 at 9:30 | comment | added | O. R. Mapper | I'm not convinced of that explanation. I always thought the recycling taking place must be the action of restoring a file, not of permanently deleting it. Note that you put stuff into the recycle bin specifically for being able to restore it. If recycling were about the bits becoming available again, then deleting a file should be named recycling, whereas placing something in the recycle bin, it is effectively not making the bits available again until the bin happens to be emptied (which, for some users, can take a loooong time ;-) ). | |
| Apr 18, 2014 at 16:55 | comment | added | Steve Jessop | The current content of the file is "trash", the storage it occupies is "recyclable" :-) | |
| Apr 18, 2014 at 12:55 | history | answered | uliwitness | CC BY-SA 3.0 |