Re: Pictures default directory.

["John Stoffel" <john stoffel org>]

Jakub> Why? It makes using the app a really bad experience for a huge
Jakub> number of people. I hate how gimp starts asking me these weird
Jakub> questions I don't really have answers for when I first run
Jakub> it. I hate how gnome-meeting does the same. The questions are
Jakub> redundant to majority of f-spot's users. Let the software
Jakub> designer figure a decent default, not the user.  Putting these
Jakub> decisions on the user is not "putting him/her in control", but
Jakub> showing that the designer failed to make it just
Jakub> work(TM). There are cases where this is extremely difficult,
Jakub> indeed.

we need the dwim() function implemented properly everywhere obviously!
(Do What I Mean). 

Maybe a useful compromise would be to see if the ~/Photos/ directory
has a .f-spot valid configuration file.  At that point you can assume
that f-spot is in control of that directory.  Otherwise, hands off and
just don't muck with any files in there.  Do no harm is the core matra
to keep in mind. 

Jakub> You seem to care about your picture folder location. 

Sure.  Or more accurately, I care that f-spot (or any tool for that
matter) doesn't go and do something to a previously existing setup
with out notifying me.  And then giving me the choice.  

So why do you hate the questions that gimp asks the first time?  And
maybe they are more a reflection on the poor choices that the gimp
developers made?

Jakub> You are free to go change a gconf key somewhere, edit a config
Jakub> file. Most people will be happy to know their photos are in a
Jakub> visible location. It may be an extra step for a minority, but
Jakub> appreciated by a vast number of people. A perfect design for
Jakub> everybody isn't possible. I tend to think a control freak
Jakub> computer geek ain't F-Spot's major target audience.

I care about f-spot seeing that I have a previously existing directory
and thinking that it (f-spot) should take it over and own it.  

I guess this is how I see it:


- f-spot starts up.
- looks for ~/Photos/
  - if it exists, look for ~/Photos/.f-spotrc
    - if it exists, then f-spot owns this directory.
    - if .f-spotrc doesn't exist in ~/Photos, then ASK if you want
      this directory should be managed.

Hmm... I should just sit down and write out the state engine in proper
pseudo code with blocks, this isn't a good description and I'm sitting
at a conference right now... not a good time to hack.  :]

John