On: Why does the New menu even exist for creating new empty files?

[cunthorpe]

To be fair we copy projects to preserve their structure, specifically to avoid starting anew. It’s not the same as copying and clearing the whole file

[forgotmypw17 → cunthorpe]

A blank document is a type of structure, with a cognitive cost of setting it up:

1) Learn to understand that programs create files

2) Learn which program creates a .doc file

3) Learn how to open program and where the File|New command is

[zimpenfish → forgotmypw17]

4) Getting all the styles correct

5) Getting all the metadata / header / footers etc. correct

[pininja → zimpenfish]

Reusing styles is a huge valid reason. Even today Google Docs/Slides has a convenient “Make a copy” button that is easier for me compared to setting up a template.

I just copy -> rename -> open -> select all -> delete

[TeMPOraL → pininja]

Same principle works within a single application.

For example, when (being dragged into) making PowerPoint presentations, I tend to manually style two or three slides (e.g. title page, chapter divider, content slide), and then create actual slides through "Right click -> Duplicate Slide".

[pcl → cunthorpe]

In the copy-and-clear case, the file contents are cleared, but metadata is preserved. Most obviously, this includes the directory tree location.

[noizejoy → cunthorpe]

But does that particular nuance invalidate the general point of the parent post?

[vntok → noizejoy]

Absolutely, copying a file to maintain things a certain way vs newing up a file are two completely different behaviours.