Re: Menubar (and Empty Default Desktop) Proposals for GNOME 2.10

[Shaun McCance <shaunm gnome org>]

On Fri, 2004-11-19 at 19:47 +1100, Nigel Tao wrote:
> > There was a suggestion on nautilus-list last year (June 2003) to move
> > the default locations of the icons (Computer, Home, Trash, ...) to the
> > right side.
> 
> While that is helpful in some cases, it doesn't help when I am running
> something full-screen (or what Alan Cooper of "About Face" calls
> "sovereign posture").  Like Jeff said, if I've got something open and
> maximized (which is almost all the time), then I can't see the Desktop,
> or the icons on it.  I can, however, still see the panel.
> 
> My original e-mail mentioned the controversial idea of an empty default
> Desktop - but perhaps in the short term a question that I would like
> answered is should we roll a "Places" menu into the gnome-panel menubar.
> My claim is that it's A Workflow Improvement (TM).

"Alan Cooper has an unhealthy fixation with maximized windows."
  -- me, 2004-04-23

Right now, I have 18 windows open across 5 workspaces.  18 is actually a
pretty low number for me.  Of these 18 windows, exactly zero of them are
maximized.  None of them are entirely self-standing for me.  The only
two that come close are Evolution and Epiphany.

This everything-maximized mentality is very Windows-esque.  I've never
met a Mac user who worked like that.  In fact, Mac applications seem to
be designed to be as compact as possible, whereas Windows applications
seem to be designed to be maximized.

I like being able to see two windows at once.  I can read API docs in
devhelp while writing code in emacs while keeping an eye on IRC.  I can
read my email while watching a conversation with a friend in Gossip.
And I can actually use drag and drop.  How do people drag and drop when
all their windows are maximized?

My desktop icons are all on the right, where windows very rarely cover
them up.  Worst case, I might have to shade one window to get to the
icon I want.  (Side note: shading requires way less effort to restore
than minimizing.  I have no idea why people hate it so much.)

--
Shaun