[GuillaumeB]

As a lot of people do, i tried to move the application folder into the dock. I come from windows and I was thinking that application shortcuts would be created, instead, it completely copies everything into another folder.
SO it would basically place a big folder into the dock.. isnt that gonna slown the dock itself?

[TETENAL]

Everything in the Dock is a reference to an actual file on the disk. Nothing is copied. Putting a folder into the Dock does not slow it down.

[Sherman Homan]

In Windows it is a 'shortcut' on the Mac it is an 'alias'. Either way, the icon in your dock, as TETENAL said, is merely a reference to the original. At ~4k it is a tiny, insignificant file, but very handy!

[Mithras]

Unless you missed and it copied the Applications folder onto your Desktop, of course.