You got it all set up. Everything is working. Satisfied, you sit down and grab the mouse and click on My Computer, then Local Disk (C ).

Wait! Before you go any further, do you know what the symbols mean and the underlying scheme for them.

A computer has two purposes:

1) to store information and
2) perform operations.

Operations are performed by programs, applications, and drivers. A program can perform many operations. An application does one operation. While a driver allows either a program or an application to function in an appropriate environment (that is, in a Windows operating system, a Mac operating system, or other operating system).

For storing information, or as it is called, data; the following scheme is used:

Directory/File/Folder/Document

A computer, in this sense, is much like a filing cabinet. For those who have one (or not) a filing cabinet has draws; usually two, three, or four, which you pull out with your hand. Most filing cabinets draws have a handle. Others have a slot. Inside a draw there is a tension bar (or not) for holding manila folders. The manila folders can have one's papers, pictures, or other things like LPs.

In organizing a filing cabinet, one would usually put related items together. These related items would, in general, be placed in one draw. One would then place or secure to the front of the draw a label identifying the contents of the draw with a general heading. Once this is done, the draw is no longer a draw, it is now a file. Inside the file would be the related items, most of which would be, in folders. The related items would then be considered, in computer terms, documents. Of course, there can other folder(s) in a folder.

Its unfortunate that, at least in a Windows operating system, the symbol used for a file and for a folder is the same. This can and does cause confusion. One way around this is to select an icon under the Customize Tab in the Folder Properties Box and make that your File Icon and leave the manila folder icon as your Folder Icon.

Working with a filing cabinet, one would be taking things out or putting them back, in their respective file(s). If you were to get an item, you would usually "Get the (abc) folder" or if you were to get all the items in a file, you would usually "Get the (general heading) file." Whereas, returning an item to the filing cabinet, you would hear "File this." On the computer you would be "opening" and "closing" a folder or file. This would be accomplished by clicking on the file or folder (icon) to open it and clicking on the "X" display in the explorer box to close it.

Since there is only two purposes for a computer, then logically, there should only be two (primarily) files in a operating environment. In Windows, at least, that is the case. Programs are in one file, while Documents are in another file. The first is designated "Program Files." The last is given a label "My Documents"

Again, this is unfortunate. "Programs Files" is not correct. It should be "Programs" or "Window Programs." Unless you chose either upon installation of the Windows operating system you are stuck with it. "Programs" is the correct label as the file "Programs" has a collection of programs (applications and drivers too) in individual folders. "Window Programs" would work since you could create another file "My Programs" which would work well with "My Documents." Of course, there would be needed a "Windows Documents" file to go with the "Windows Programs" file. This would be a matter of personal choice. I would, however, recommend these four file titles.

Regarding the "My Documents" file, this is wrong, unless as mentioned above, you use it with a "My Programs" file. The correct label should be "Documents." However, unlike the "Programs Files" file, the "My Documents" file cannot be changed. Thinking about it, a "Documents" file does go with a "Programs" file.

Those in the area of computers have succeeded in getting us to use different terms to describe the same thing. For example, a picture in our physical world is an image in the world of computers. A paper is considered a text. A filing cabinet is referred to as a directory.

Unfortunately, a file is termed a file and a folder a folder in the computer world. This is an inconsistency. A better choice of words would be branch for a file, and twig for a folder. These terms are from the labels to the parts of a tree and show how a file and a folder relate to each other in the form of other words.