# Oh thank god: Microsoft to drop the "My" prefix **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 2, 2005, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-thank-god-microsoft-to-drop-the-my-prefix/306518 "2005-06-02T07:32:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-thank-god-microsoft-to-drop-the-my-prefix/306518/21 "2005-06-02T19:35:35Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > ImrAru’s desktop is timmy [it is an aging compaq, so all we do is tell our geek roomie that timmy fell down a well and he comes and fixes whatever has gone wrong. _Arf Arf!!_ What’s that, Lassie? You say Timmy fell down the well? I’ll be right there. Now you just need a hamster named Lassie. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-thank-god-microsoft-to-drop-the-my-prefix/306518/22 "2005-06-02T23:00:43Z")
> [@Tastes of Chocolate](#): > > _Arf Arf!!_ > What’s that, Lassie? You say Timmy fell down the well? I’ll be right there. > > Now you just need a hamster named Lassie. Dont think it would last long with cats in the house=) Maybe the new desktop that we are sort of building will get named lassie=) ---
**Author:** ![bluecanary](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bluecanary/32/3614_2.png) [@bluecanary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluecanary)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-thank-god-microsoft-to-drop-the-my-prefix/306518/23 "2005-06-02T23:04:14Z")
I guess when I do database work I’ll still boot up mySQL though ---
**Author:** ![drewbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drewbert/32/15890_2.png) [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-thank-god-microsoft-to-drop-the-my-prefix/306518/24 "2005-06-02T23:15:33Z")
Ah, Microsoft innovation strikes again! Wake me when they start fixing rendering bugs in Internet Explorer. ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-thank-god-microsoft-to-drop-the-my-prefix/306518/25 "2005-06-02T23:34:26Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > “Now click on your My Documents folder” > “I’m your what?” > “Your My Documents folder” > “I’m not your documents folder” 😃😃 Anyhoo, agreed, thank Heaven…I consider myself an advanced/expert user of computers, and having to click on “My Computer” and “My Documents” all the time just made me feel silly. I renamed my “My Computer” (:rolleyes: ) folder to “Main” from the old Win3.1 days, but renaming “My Documents” has led to some file location issues. Thank you for insulting our intelligence just a little bit less, Microsoft. That’s mighty swell of you. Adam ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-thank-god-microsoft-to-drop-the-my-prefix/306518/26 "2005-06-02T23:35:48Z")
I think they should change it to something different for each of the system objects: This Computer Some Documents That Music Those Pictures These eBooks A Network ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-thank-god-microsoft-to-drop-the-my-prefix/306518/27 "2005-06-02T23:50:17Z")
My Computer is apparently an idiot. Click on **Shut Down.** It then asks you, “what do you want the computer to do?” Uh…SHUT DOWN! ---
**Author:** ![Taber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ac91a4/32.png) [@Taber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taber)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-thank-god-microsoft-to-drop-the-my-prefix/306518/28 "2005-06-03T00:09:34Z")
So they’re just going to be crosoft? that’s a weird name. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-thank-god-microsoft-to-drop-the-my-prefix/306518/29 "2005-06-03T00:11:23Z")
> [@Daithi Lacha](#): > > Can I just mention here that Macs don’t have these issues? 🙂 Only if I can mention that Linux machines don’t cost an arm and a leg and also don’t force you into an ugly-ass GUI. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-thank-god-microsoft-to-drop-the-my-prefix/306518/30 "2005-06-03T01:21:07Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > Linux machines don’t…force you into an ugly-ass GUI. “Chhhkkk, Gkkkk, Cuhcuhcuh, GGGGGGGG” -The sound of me choking on my own laughter. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-thank-god-microsoft-to-drop-the-my-prefix/306518/31 "2005-06-03T03:24:40Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > “Chhhkkk, Gkkkk, Cuhcuhcuh, GGGGGGGG” > > -The sound of me choking on my own laughter. No, he’s right. You get to choose from several different ugly ass GUIs. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-thank-god-microsoft-to-drop-the-my-prefix/306518/32 "2005-06-03T03:30:15Z")
I dunno, I’m totally a Mac person but I don’t find WindowMaker to be particularly ugly-ass. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-thank-god-microsoft-to-drop-the-my-prefix/306518/33 "2005-06-03T04:16:39Z")
So now it’s, in the words of the prophet Bobby Brown, “My Prerogative.” ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-thank-god-microsoft-to-drop-the-my-prefix/306518/34 "2005-06-03T04:25:36Z")
> [@drewbert](#): > > Ah, Microsoft innovation strikes again! Wake me when they start fixing rendering bugs in Internet Explorer. They aren’t bugs, they are undocumented features. Be happy, they _could_ have charged you for them=) What? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-thank-god-microsoft-to-drop-the-my-prefix/306518/35 "2005-06-03T05:19:03Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > “Chhhkkk, Gkkkk, Cuhcuhcuh, GGGGGGGG” > > -The sound of me choking on my own laughter. Okay, tell me how [WindowMaker](http://www.windowmaker.org/gallery.html) and [Enlightenment](http://www.enlightenment.org/Enlightenment/Screenshots.html) are any uglier than the abortions known as MacOS X’s Aqua or XP’s famed ‘Play-Skool’ theme. (Of the two, XP’s ‘Play-Skool’ theme is the worst, but only in the way that getting kicked in the nuts is worse than getting kicked in the gut.) > [@Shalmanese](#): > > No, he’s right. You get to choose from several different ugly ass GUIs. Not to mention the pretty ones, but otherwise you’re exactly right. If I bought a Mac, I would no longer be able to customize my desktop without effectively wasting a large amount of the purchase price. I would probably do better to buy a used Mac in good condition, reformat the hard drive and install a PPC-friendly Linux distro. Just as a parting shot, I’m not using a pretty GUI at the moment by any means. I’m also not using one that’s ‘friendly’ by any conventional meaning of the term. I’m using [ratpoison](http://www.nongnu.org/ratpoison/), and if you call ratposion ‘[ugly](http://www.nongnu.org/ratpoison/shot2.png)’ you’re missing the point. ---
**Author:** ![fifty-six](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@fifty-six](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fifty-six)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-thank-god-microsoft-to-drop-the-my-prefix/306518/36 "2005-06-03T05:40:07Z")
Its not really “My” Comuter anyway. Half the stuff is licensed to the hilt. I am suprised Microsoft let us own our computers for so long. ---
**Author:** ![MidnightRadio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@MidnightRadio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MidnightRadio)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-thank-god-microsoft-to-drop-the-my-prefix/306518/37 "2005-06-03T06:10:54Z")
I’m also totally a Mac person, and I have to say it would be nice if Apple would follow suit and drop the annoying “i” prefix. Though it might not do any good, seeing as how other companies have started using it, too. ---
**Author:** ![Fromage\_A\_Trois](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e57/32.png) [@Fromage\_A\_Trois](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fromage_A_Trois)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-thank-god-microsoft-to-drop-the-my-prefix/306518/38 "2005-06-03T13:09:48Z")
> [@Taber](#): > > So they’re just going to be crosoft? that’s a weird name. Thanks, you just made me laugh out loud. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@Dead\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Badger)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-thank-god-microsoft-to-drop-the-my-prefix/306518/39 "2005-06-03T13:12:04Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > Hopefully they’ll stop the magically re-appearing unnecessary folders. ‘My Music’? No, that’s somewhere else. ‘My Videos’? Ditto. ‘My Ebooks’? I don’t have any, so stop creating places to put them!!! [How to remove “My eBooks” for good.](http://windowsxp.mvps.org/myebooks.htm) Now if only I could get rid of My Shapes (bloody Visio) and My Virtual Machines (bloody Virtual PC). Rrrrgh. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2005, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-thank-god-microsoft-to-drop-the-my-prefix/306518/40 "2005-06-03T14:33:41Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > Okay, tell me how WindowMaker and Enlightenment are any uglier than the abortions known as MacOS X’s Aqua or XP’s famed ‘Play-Skool’ theme. > > (Of the two, XP’s ‘Play-Skool’ theme is the worst, but only in the way that getting kicked in the nuts is worse than getting kicked in the gut.) Agreed. I love MacOS X but I hate Aqua. Romper Room to XPs PlaySkool, indeed. > [@](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > Originally Posted by Shalmanese > > > > No, he’s right. You get to choose from several different ugly ass GUIs. > > Not to mention the pretty ones, but otherwise you’re exactly right. If I bought a Mac, I would no longer be able to customize my desktop without effectively wasting a large amount of the purchase price. Untrue. You _do_ need to download 3rd-party sw to change the GUI (unlike with Windows XP, which lets you switch to classic using built-in Control Panel settings), but there are at least two major package managers (Duality and whatever that [unsanity.com](http://unsanity.com) product is called…Shapeshifter, something like that?) and at least one freeware do-it-yourself (ThemePark). [This is OS X](http://home.earthlink.net/~ahunter/Upload_Download/Mac_Menubar_Cmd.jpg) retrothemed to look like MacOS 8-9 (Classic Platinum). Note the lack of Docks, lozengesque widgets, or 128 x 128 pixel desktop icons. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-thank-god-microsoft-to-drop-the-my-prefix/306518.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-thank-god-microsoft-to-drop-the-my-prefix/306518.md?page=3)