I suspect even a majority of HN users visited the page on a mobile device, and were not in a position to immediately follow the instructions.

Android allows you to create directories.

As does iOS, but the instructions given were for a desktop device.

So what? It is mentionned in the introduction that it is meant for computer users:

"What do I need?

You need a computer with internet access. I wrote this book in a generic way so that it would be applicable for people using macOS, Windows, or Linux. If I point you toward software to install, it will be free (or have a usable free tier) and will be cross-platform (or I will offer platform alternatives)." https://htmlforpeople.com/intro/#what-do-i-need%3F

So? How many people are editing HTML on their phones?

OP here. Yeah, I was a bit worried about this, and even though I kind of mentioned it in the introduction, I think it deserves more attention. I'm not sure if I want to write something and host it myself, or maybe just point people to some kind of primer on creating files and folders.

If you're concerned about this I think the only solution is to get feedback from your audience somehow. Watching someone try to follow the instructions can be enlightening. I personally doubt it's that bad, I think people know how to create folders, but I might be wrong. If not, directing them to "<os> for dummies" might be a good move.

These two videos were the best resources I could find to bring people up to speed on this topic:

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-EID5_2D9U

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGd48PGbnBs

It's weird seeing this getting emphasized over and again in this thread.

> There are a shockingly large number of people out there that use computers EVERY day that won't know how to do this.

That's very hard to believe. Even my mom, who doesn't use computers at all, would know what folders and files mean.

The people who don't know what files and folders are - can't immediately be beneficiaries of this guide, right? They have a lot more fundamentals to cover before anything like this.

As far as I've noticed, it's not older people who have the issue but younger. The average 22 year old today has been using mobile devices as their primary device for 10+ years. This is especially noticeable amongst poorer families, where a $20 a month low end financed android phone is much more of an option than a $300 computer.

It's a bit of both, really. The typical computer or mobile user doesn't have general purpose computing knowledge or expertise. They don't know how their computer works or what any of the things in it ARE. They know how to follow a particular defined sequence of steps to get an outcome.

I worked over the phone tech support for a few years about 20 years ago, and it really opened my eyes to how far the gap is between the tech literate and everyday computer users.

I think this guide is terrific, for what it's worth. I just also think there's a lot more people out there that this guide SHOULD help, that it won't, because of that fundamental gap.

But they manage files and folder on their smartphone too.

Anecdotally, I don't know anyone that uses files on their iPhone, and I don't really understand it myself either.

When you take a picture, and watch it in a gallery, you are accessing a file.

My dad worked at NASA and built circuit boards that are currently in space.

He got confused a few years ago because "how can you have a folder inside a folder? Only files get put in folders".

Of course, he would not read this book.

If someone can't figure out how to make a folder but wants to write HTML, they have a problem this book should t be obligated to solve.

If this is true then it's very sad. Is this what people have been reduced to? I would have been able to follow these instructions as a child (in fact I did build my own website when I was 10).

Are you sure it's this bad, though, or are you not giving people the benefit of the doubt? How can it be this way? Is it due to people using cloud apps for everything?

It seems to be the case. See the other thread of people not knowing what a file system is.

In the past tech education felt useless because teachers were so far behind, maybe it’s time to revisit now because now the younger generation is far behind.