Re: Major change in desktop handling

[Andrew Sobala <aes gnome org>]

(repruning Cc lists)

On Sat, 2003-05-17 at 21:01, Luca Ferretti wrote:
> 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!

How about this.

Don't have a Home icon, but instead have some sort of icon which will
launch the file manager with the desktop visible. Then the "Up" button
will take you to $HOME, but is logical and avoids these circular
reference problems people have.

But then the file manager icon and wording needs thinking about...

I'm not saying this is how it should be done, but it's an idea.

-- 
Andrew Sobala <aes gnome org>

"A freudian slip is when you say one thing but you mean your mother." -- unknown