On behalf of Adobe Systems Incorporated ...
The use of the tilde prefix is absolutely not a Windows convention to hide a file. We are not trying to hide those lock files at all. If you see a lock file in a directory with a corresponding InDesign document, it is indicative that either someone else is editing the file or a problem occurred that caused InDesign to abnormally terminate with the corresponding InDesign document open. Why would anyone want to “hide” that? Why would you want to hide them? If we wanted to hide the files, we could have used file attributes instead! In fact, the tilde (~) character is often used where one wants certain files to appear first in alphabetic display.
And please cut out this silliness with regards to platforms! Adobe wouldn't be nearly as viable a business if it wasn't for Windows users as well as Mac users and our cross-platform abilities. You like Macs? Mazel tov! Enjoy. But there is no “agenda” at Adobe with regards to platforms.
- Dov