Re: RFC: Common desktop-wide paths

[Maciej Katafiasz <mnews22 wp pl>]

Dnia 05-10-2004, wto o godzinie 13:07 +0200, Mikael Hallendal napisał:
> > [1] Of course, I prefer just asking where to put the file, that's why we
> > have bookmarks and default target folder in file chooser, they make that
> > operation really quick. But if everyone agrees that's the best way to
> > help user, so be it, just let's not create mess on user's desktop,
> > they're sufficiently good at it themselves, OK? I really don't want to
> > see win32 desktop horror recurring in GNOME
> 
> Well, Internet Explorer asks where to put the file iirc and most users 
> choose to put it on the desktop since they know where it is then. A 
> problem in Windows is that all applications automatically default to put 
> a launcher application there and I think a lot of people are afraid to 
> remove them.
> 
> We *are* talking about the default behaviour here and showing a dialog 
> probably won't help a lot of people since they'll probably just click OK 
> to get rid of it before the realized that they might have needed the 
> information since they can't find their downloaded file.
> 
> If we have automatic downloads they should default to a place where 
> people can see them, ie. the desktop. If you don't like this (ie. not 
> being in the main target group in respect of this feature), feel free to 
> change to ~/Downloads.

Well, isn't it quite the same as putting apps' shortcuts on Desktop? You
said it yourself it intimidates people, and doing that with downloads
isn't any better. We've agreed that Desktop is totally under user's
control, we can't change that at whim, this isn't going to give users
right idea. If downloads can break the rules, how is user supposed to
know that $random_app isn't going to do the same? We can either keep
current Desktop metaphor, and that means obeying the rules, or we can
retire it and find new one, but that requires proper discussion about
*metaphor as whole*. Keeping rules only sometimes, when we feel like it,
goes against just about every HIG rule, and most importantly is harmful
for our users.

Oh, and for the record, standard, appropriately labeled folder (like,
let's go creative, "Downloads") is _much_ better for discoverability. I
had much trouble with finding that download landed on desktop because I
had it filled with icons arranged to my taste beforehand, and new one
was placed somewhere deep in the corner. Maybe it's my fault to use
desktop for my stuff, but I'm sorry, this is my desktop. If app feels
free to drop stuff in there, it doesn't encourage spatial arrangement,
it doesn't encourage tidy and organized desktop which, last I checked,
were our current preferred model. Instead it proactively destroys these
just because someone feels it's "handy". That isn't acceptable for DE
that aims to be friendly to (possibly technically illiterate) user.

Cheers,
Maciej

-- 
"Tautologizm to coś tautologicznego"
   Maciej Katafiasz <mnews2 wp pl>
       http://mathrick.blog.pl