Re: RFC: Common desktop-wide paths

[Maciej Katafiasz <mnews22 wp pl>]

Dnia 05-10-2004, wto o godzinie 16:34 +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.
> 
> I didn't say it intimidates people, I said that a lot of people are 
> probably afraid to remove them since they think it'll remove the 
> application they just installed.
> 
> Downloading files to the desktop is quite different since that's an 
> action that the user initiates and it's quite obvious what the file on 
> the desktop represents (the file you just downloaded).

Still, it exhibits numerous problems, as I pointed out in the part you
snipped. And one more I didn't, that is people clicking links several
times, in hope it'll show some more info than just little-telling
"downloading", and eventually giving up the idea altogether, just to
later accidentally discover seemingly random (connection to earlier,
"failed" download isn't very obvious after a while, especially when you
wanted to download "FooBar Extra Plus v 20.4" and file is named
"fb204xpl.bin" or "0100048.exe") files sitting on desktop. Been there,
done that. It doesn't work.

> > Oh, and for the record, standard, appropriately labeled folder (like,
> > let's go creative, "Downloads") is _much_ better for discoverability.
> 
> Doesn't this also create unwanted files/folders on your desktop? All 
> users might not want this folder, so why should it be created for them?

It wouldn't be normal folder, rather part of desktop like Computer or
Trash is. Epi does that even today, just it isn't marked special in any
way. After all, we're discussing creating standard "Documents" location
in this thread, Downloads would the go in there. Besides, I still think
the best option is to simply ask user, with new File Chooser, Bookmarks
and default folders it _really_ works, and doesn't have any of problems
we're arguing over (and also some we aren't, like "What? Where? I
pressed 'download' and now it shows some progressbar. What does that
mean? *Poof* Now the window disappeared! Where did the file go?"). But
current Epi's solution with separate "Save as..." seems good enough, I
can live with it.

Cheers,
Maciej

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