Folder: Best To Place Where ?

[Robert4]

Hello,

I would like to pursue this a bit more, as I really don't have
as clear an understanding of the pros and cons of this as I probably
should.

Let's say I have a Folder on the Desktop with a few spreadssheets in it.

I would like to keep the Desktop as clean as possible.

So, I guess there are two things I can do with this Folder:

I can put it directly into the Dock, to the right of the Divider.

Or, I can put it in Documents, make an Alias, and put the alias into the Dock, also
on the right of the Divider.

What are the pros and cons for each approach, or it really doesn't matter (much) ?

Or,...?

Thanks,
Bob

 

[MacDawg]

Just drop the folder in Documents
Then open Documents and drag the folder with the spreadsheets to the dock and be done with it

 

[Gregg2]

No need to put an alias in the Dock. Just do as above for the Dock solution.

You could make an alias and put it directly on the Desktop however. I have had several of them on my Desktop for years, and it's never caused a problem. This saves space on the Dock, and the icons there don't get as tiny. However, as another thread here discusses, you can get an App to make two rows in the Dock.

 

[Fishrrman]

"Or, I can put it in Documents, make an Alias, and put the alias into the Dock, also
on the right of the Divider."

THIS is "the answer".
DON'T clutter up the Dock with non-essential items.

 

[kohlson]

Sorry, I just can't resist bringing up the old saying:
"If a cluttered desk(top) is the sign of a cluttered mind, what does a desk(top) with nothing on it signify?"

Another option is to put the folder someplace that works for you (and in this case off the desktop) and then drag it into a Finder Window Sidebar.

Still another option is to use Spotlight. Place the folder as you will, then touch cmd+space, and the first few letters of the name of the folder. Select from there. After doing this a few times it should be the preferred "hit." and in just a few keystrokes you can have a finder window open with the spreadsheets in front of you.

In general I don't like putting things in the dock. I get too many things running and the icons get too small and hard to figure out. One can only imagine what my desktop looks like ... it surprises even me when I see it, which is only a couple of times per year.

 

[Dave Braine]

drag the folder with the spreadsheets to the dock

Which is itself an Alias.

 

[Fishrrman]

There's a small shareware app called "Classic Menu" that transforms the Apple menu into a configurable menu to which you can add files or folders:
http://www.sigsoftware.com/classicmenu/

It goes way WAY back, but still works in El Capitan and Sierra. Haven't tried in High Sierra.

It creates a folder called "Classic Menu Items" (in your Preferences folder).
Anything you put there will then appear in the Apple menu.

If I want a folder easily accessible without being "on the desktop", I make an alias of it and move the alias to the Classic Menu Items folder.

Easy!

 

[dangerfish]

I use Desktop Tidy. It automatically moves everything on my desktop to a "shadow" folder on an automated schedule. I can choose items to ignore if I want. I created a keyboard shortcut to recall the shadow desktop anytime I want.

 

[Toutou]

"Or, I can put it in Documents, make an Alias, and put the alias into the Dock, also
on the right of the Divider."

THIS is "the answer".
DON'T clutter up the Dock with non-essential items.

Unnecessary. The dock is not a physical place, and dragging an item to it doesn't move it anywhere, it just creates a shortcut.

 

[Fishrrman]

toutou wrote:
"The dock is not a physical place, and dragging an item to it doesn't move it anywhere, it just creates a shortcut."

This makes no sense.

I realize that the dock "isn't a physical place".
But it DOES take up "screen space".
I don't want too many things on my dock (I realize others' preferences may be different)
I keep it relatively "clean". For my old eyes, makes recognition of "what's there" easier.

 

[CryBloodwing]

What I do is make one folder on the desktop and then add everything on the desktop into that. I then move it to a corner where it is not in the way. Then you only have one item on your desktop. For example I have two folders on my desktop.
1. Documents
1. School
1. Math
2. Business
3. etc
2. Pictures
1. Animals
2. Screenshots
3. etc
3. Music
4. Movies
5. Other
2. Software
1. Games
2. Software

I could combine Software and Documents into one folder called "Desktop."

However if you really don't want even one folder on desktop, I would recommend putting it into Documents, then adding a Documents shortcut to the Dock.