Warning: Finder doesn't save immediately

This may be common knowledge, but it wasn't mine.

Since the Finder is just another database manager
(the file system is essentially a database)
you might naively believe that the Finder 
will save the changes you make immediately.
It doesn't. (as  I found out)

Changes get written to disk only when you close the window.
So, if you have a kernel panic for example,
all changes you made in windows that are still open will be lost. 
If you walk away after having done a lot of work in the Finder
it is best to close all windows you have been working in.

In the worst case you may even lose files,

Jan