So, is your brain really hierarchic? I think it is. Here's the informal demo.... [Scripting News]

I agree, our minds tend to be hierarchic, especially regarding where we store things. But it's also a matter of user interface. In Dave's example, the user interface is our house, which is (usually) friendly and something we are aware of.

A simpler example could be made with files: usually we should be able to find a file because it's stored in some directory, contained in another directory, contained in another directory according to a path that makes some sense to us, right? Wrong: most computer users have no clue about where they have just saved their files, and also if it would make for them easier to find them, most users do not categorize the email messages that they receive. It would make sense, but operating system and email clients GUIs are not making this easy.

It's not only a matter of organization, it's also a matter of how the structure is represented to our minds. The house is a good example: different things are stored in different containers, in different rooms. A very easy way to remember.

Now, are files stored in hundred of folders that all look the same or lines of texts stored in outlines wedges that still all look the same as easy to find as objects in our house? Is the folder/documents metaphore the best we can do? Do current outliners go as far as we could get?