File -> Save As

File Dialogs are bad, but the Save As dialog is particularly bad.

Bad for power users, and bad for the other end of the spectrum too.

For power users, look at our IDEs, we don't use Save As. We may want to RENAME a file, but I've never wanted to Save As a file.

Less advanced users get into a horrible mess because of Save As.

Just think about the phases "Rename", "Copy" and "Save As". Which of those actions do you think a regular user wants to perform?

The answer is obviously "Copy" and "Rename". However, "Save As" is their own choice. Save As doesn't rename (because it makes a copy), and many times it isn't useful to make a copy either.

Many regular people's workflow is something like this :

• Start a new document
• Make changes
• Make a copy with today's date
• Make more changes

"Save As" is the only way to make a copy. So that's what they use. But now they have made changes to the COPY, not the ORIGINAL.

They are confused that their changes are lost (when they re-open the original document days later). So they blame themselves, or the computer, and make the changes again.

We shouldn't expect people to understand (or use) version control. If they want to make copies using date-stamps LET THEM.

Remove File->Save As. Now when they want to make a copy, they will naturally go to the place where the file lives (the file manager which is docked on the left of desktop). and all is well.

By removing all File Dialogs, users are much less likely to get into a mess, because the File Manager lets them tidy things up (such as renaming and copying), whereas File Dialogs do not.

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