Re: Not OK computer:/// [was Re: Should Desktop = Home?]

[Tom von Schwerdtner <tvon etria com>]

On Mon, 2004-10-04 at 22:48 +0100, Alan Horkan wrote:
> this message talks of the joys of having ~/Desktop
> which i encourage you to read
>
> http://mail.gnome.org/archives/desktop-devel-list/2003-May/msg00674.html
> and a followup message reacts "Please God No" in response to
> start-here:///
> which was my reaction to seeing
> computer:///
>
> Why do people keep creating new protocols?
>
> It breaks things.  file:/// is a perfectly good protocol, computer:/// is
> compatible only with Nautilus (and disturbingly like the c:/ drive from
> Microsoft, I'm not just being anti-Microsoft it really is a bad idea).

Perhaps another alternative would be to only invent one fake protocol, eg:

gnome:///start-here/ 
gnome:///computer/ 

and so on. (or the more generic "desktop:///start-here/"..., but 'gnome' is the same in every language)

I realize it is by no means the perfect solution, but at least we won't have all sorts of invented 'fake' protocols laying around.

snip...
> I figure it could have been implemented as ~/Computer/ and have the drives
> and shortcuts mounted there which doesn't mess as much with the
> traditional "everything is a file" and I think it is kind of appropriate
> that your Computer would be inside your Home.

I think this starts out sounding pretty good until you hear the counter arguments that some people have already posted to the list :)


Regards,
Tom

Tom von Schwerdtner Etria, LLP - www.etria.com