Re: Major change in desktop handling

[Luca Ferretti <elle uca libero it>]

Il ven, 2003-05-16 alle 06:33, Dave Camp ha scritto:
> Here's my objection to $HOME-as-the-desktop:
> 
> Nautilus' desktop should be a user-managed space.  System-managed files
> do not belong on the desktop, even if they are hidden.
> 
> $HOME is the root of the user's writable filesystem.  All files owned by
> the user must be placed somewhere in $HOME (except for special cases
> like tmp files) - there's just nowhere else to put them.
> 
> So if you use $HOME as the desktop, you are forcing system-managed files
> to be on the desktop (even if they are hidden by default).  This doesn't
> make any sense - if a user turns on 'Show Hidden Files', they don't want
> their desktop cluttered with a bunch of system-managed files.
> 

mmhhh good point, but IHMO to have a Home icon on desktop and a Desktop
folder in Home is a crack too.

I mean: I'm sitting in front of computer [1], and anybody said me that
I'm looking the desktop. On the desktop I've an Home icon and anybody
said me that it's the place of my personal files. I open the Home and...
I find a Desktop folder... what's appening... desktop in the home and
home in the desktop... I feel a little anxious.... If I open the desktop
in home, can I find the home again??? And the desktop again? And so on
until... until.... hey I can't stop this!

IHMO it's a non-logic way. The desktop is the desktop and you should
access to it only from the desktop, don't from a file manager window[2].
If I've to change/add/remove something I don't need to open a window, I
can do it directly from desktop.

As user the desktop is a 'view of this computer', don't a folder in my
home that I can display full screen (BTW: desktop background and
~/Desktop one should be the same... at least in a OO metaphor): I can
have on it resources (personal files as Home icon or all files in ~,
shared files as mounted devices, preferences, trash...) and stuff that I
need/want find immediately. 


[1] yeah, turn on it, wait, make login, start GNOME before
[2] note: I'm speaking about file manager, don't file selector!!

-- 
Think bigger

			My uncle