Deleting only certain files permanently from trash bin

[sidewinder]

This ridiculous!

If you have items that you think you want to throw away, but are not sure, put them in a folder called "To Be Trashed" or some other name that makes sense to you.

You should not put anything in the Trash that you are not, at the time, 100% sure you want to delete. If you change your mind, at have not emptied the Trash, you can pull it out later. But relying on that is not a good idea.

The "safety net" is the fact that the files are not deleted immediately when put in the Trash. Although I wish that were an option like it is in Windows.

As far as the metaphor goes, who thinks this way?:

Hmm....I might need this item but I am not sure....so let's put in the trash. I can always dig it out of trash later if I really do need it.

People don't think that way. People put things in the trash they are sure they don't need.

As far as Windows goes, even it considers items in the Recycle Bin as unimportant and okay to delete. When the Disk Cleanup utility is run, it empties the Recycle Bin without checking with the user.

The bottom line is that storing files that you might want to keep in Mac OS X's Trash or Windows' Recycle Bin is a stupid thing to do.

S-

 

[saltyzoo]

This ridiculous!

If you have items that you think you want to throw away, but are not sure, put them in a folder called "To Be Trashed" or some other name that makes sense to you.

You should not put anything in the Trash that you are not, at the time, 100% sure you want to delete. If you change your mind, at have not emptied the Trash, you can pull it out later. But relying on that is not a good idea.

The OS wastes my disk space to provide this feature. If the only way I can reclaim this space is by "temporarily" disabling the feature by flushing the files saved, then why can't I just turn it off completely? It makes no sense to make it all or nothing.

The "safety net" is the fact that the files are not deleted immediately when put in the Trash. Although I wish that were an option like it is in Windows.

Ding ding ding. You DO get it.

As far as the metaphor goes, who thinks this way?:

Hmm....I might need this item but I am not sure....so let's put in the trash. I can always dig it out of trash later if I really do need it.

People don't think that way. People put things in the trash they are sure they don't need.

Nobody said they do. But if you are going to keep disk space from being used by storing deleted files even though the user said to delete them, shouldn't the user get some benefit from it?

As far as Windows goes, even it considers items in the Recycle Bin as unimportant and okay to delete. When the Disk Cleanup utility is run, it empties the Recycle Bin without checking with the user.

Cleanup utility is a configurable app, that can be turned off. You have the control to deal with the trash when and how you want. It's not an all or nothing deal like OS X.

The bottom line is that storing files that you might want to keep in Mac OS X's Trash or Windows' Recycle Bin is a stupid thing to do.

S-

If using the trash is so stupid, then why can't you turn it off? Why can't you delete a file without it going into the trash? You can't have it both ways. Either the trash bin provides a useful safety net, or it doesn't.

Having the OS decide to keep files for months on end sucking up your disk space, but not keeping the file you just deleted 5 seconds ago if you need more space makes no sense. You should have the ability to free up space (or not use it up in the first place when you know you don't need to keep a large file in trash) without completely abandoning the whole point of the trash bin.

 

[helio1982]

sickmacdoc is right, I should post my solution. So the easiest way I found is the following:

I just move out the files I don't want to permanently delete to another folder. Then empty the trash can with the other files left in it. Then I put the other files back to the trash can. It's not very elegant, but serves the purpose.

As to you discussion guys: Man, I'm so happy I don't know one of you in person ;-) If there is a problem, people want a solution - thats it.
Keep the philosophy for more important things in life, not for a trash can discussion...

 

[Arran]

...I just move out the files I don't want to permanently delete to another folder. Then empty the trash can with the other files left in it. ...

FWIW, that's exactly what I do too.

I also have desktop folder called "Delete in 60 Days". It's meant as a holding-area for files I think I'm finished with now. Every so often I'll sort it by date and trash anything over 60 days. If it's over 60 days old and I haven't needed it, then I guess I never will. In fact, it's likely I've forgotten I ever had it!

Tough getting old.

 

[brand]

I also have desktop folder called "Delete in 60 Days". It's meant as a holding-area for files I think I'm finished with now. Every so often I'll sort it by date and trash anything over 60 days. If it's over 60 days old and I haven't needed it, then I guess I never will. In fact, it's likely I've forgotten I ever had it!

Wouldn't Time Machine serve that purpose?

 

[angelwatt]

I created an AppleScript that can be used with Folder Actions to make a Really Delete folder that you can drop items in, including items from the Trash.

AppleScript:

--Securely delete. Shred the files.
on adding folder items to this_folder after receiving added_items
	display dialog "You sure you want to shred?"
	-- Delete files and folders
	do shell script "srm -rfm ~/Documents/Shredder/*"
	-- Delete hidden files
	do shell script "srm -rfm ~/Documents/Shredder/.[!.]??*"
end adding folder items to

I haven't done complete testing, but so far so good. I even threw in a confirmation for those oops moments. Just attach the script to a folder of your choosing and then for convenience you can place that folder on the dock next to the trash can. Make sure to edit the code as need be and have it point to whatever folder you create for this process.

 

[sidewinder]

I just move out the files I don't want to permanently delete to another folder. Then empty the trash can with the other files left in it. Then I put the other files back to the trash can. It's not very elegant, but serves the purpose.

Why put the files in the Trash in the first place? Keep them in another folder until you are 100% sure you don't need the files. Why add the extra step and why risk losing the files by accident?

S-

 

[Arran]

Wouldn't Time Machine serve that purpose?

Nah, that's just insurance in case I mess up my own Heath-Robinson-esque scheme!

Seriously though, I have a wireless time capsule and it's sometimes a bit slow opening in TM. So I regard it as a last resort - or for recovering from a complete disaster (where slowness would be the least of my worries).

 

[sickmacdoc]

Wouldn't Time Machine serve that purpose?

While at first that seems like a good idea, when I thought about it a little more it fell apart when compared with storing items in a "pending deletion" type folder for a couple of reasons (at least for me). Using TM as a substitute would require you to do two things:

1. Remember the filename/original location to locate it on, and retrieve it from, the TM backup- this would be extra tough for me because it is "out of sight, out of mind" for me. Semi-related advice: don't get old- it sucks. The idea that "with age comes wisdom" is a myth invented by people who were already old.

2. Actually restore it to your hard drive it if you wanted to take a look at the full item/contents to make a final decision on it.

Seems much simpler and more dependable to just maintain a pending deletion folder. For the Windows guys, just paste a Recycling Bin icon in place of that folder icon to feel right at home.