[tgv]

Also prior: Matlab. What a horrid system that was.

You describe solutions for specific problems a programmer has from time to time (and some implementations that aren't relevant to anything), but we don't think like that. Not about programming, nor about writing prose or conducting experiments. We don't need arbitrary flexibility, but support that matches our cognitive make-up. Many memorization techniques rely on location, probably because we're hard-wired for that. So folder structures probably work better than tags.

We forget tags. I've seen it happen. Our system supports tags in certain contexts, and now the same tag is there in multiple variations, just because people couldn't remember it was there or what is was called, and there is only a handful of them. Now imagine a system that has tens of thousands of tags...

IDE's aren't allowing us to use our full potential, but the path towards that is not logical and straightforward.

[IIsi50MHz]

Nested tags for me, with tag tree viewable as a 'folder' structure in a side panel. Solves the problems "Which [one & only one] folder do I put this in?", "Which folder _did_ I put that in?!", and "Why are we allowing x copies of this in n folders, each with different dates/contents?".

Works for me with email, too.

Mutually-exclusive folders for-the-lose. Wellll…for my usage, anyway.