Re: [Nautilus-list] re: Desktop folder (again)

[Tuomas Kuosmanen <tigert ximian com>]

On Sat, 2002-03-30 at 01:07, Marten Payne wrote:
    > On Thu, 2002-03-28 at 23:13, Ben Ford wrote:
    > > David Bordoley wrote:
    > > Eh, no thanks.  That is what $HOME is for.
    
    > Why? I mean, do you have a reason other than that you're used to
    > doing it that way and you like doing it that way?
    
    It's not a question of "used to doing it that way". The desktop is not a
    "normal" folder and the secret of of its usability lies in this fact.

So what is the secret?

    People use the desktop the way they do because it more closely maps to
    the way their minds work. Making them "get used" to some other way is a
    bad idea. Software should serve people, not the other way around. The
    Desktop is a two dimensional, modeless place where people can arrange
    their stuff much like they arrange piles of paper on their desk.

This is just another learnt way of thinking. I use Mac a lot for print
graphics work, and all my stuff there is on the desktop. If someone
learned to think the way "A" after using "A" computers, it does not mean
"A" is the only right way of doing things.

This is not an ideal approach either, precisely because of those
"unwanted" folders and files, but heck, why is everyone so narrow minded
with this? Look at the number of people who really seem to like the
idea. For me, the homedir-as-desktop is a big advantage and makes using
Linux a lot easier when I move files from one program to another
(*especially* when we dont have a functional clipboard that can hold
arbitary stuff, like copying a picture from the Gimp to my mail
composer)

The stupid extra files on the desktop are a minor annoyance compared to
the advantage I personally enjoy. And I stuck those annoying files under
my panel anyway.

    Implementing it as the home directory lose this because random apps (a
    possibly infinite set) can tamper with the users spatial map without
    permission. And as has been pointed out, the issue of apps like the Java
    plugin creating files in the home directory unbidden is open ended and
    cannot be solved. So please don't make it the default and if some
    developers really want it, it should be a option buried deep in the
    control panel.

This spatial stuff sounds so fancy, can you explain what it means? :-)

Sorry for being a bit cranky, but I am getting tired of defending the
idea when I clearly see a lot of people who like it. I think the biggest
barrier for using Nautilus for real is the separate desktop dir and the
place where your files really are. I dunno. Have a nice easter everyone!

Tuomas

-- 
:: :: Tuomas Kuosmanen  :: Art Director, Ximian :: ::
:: :: tigert ximian com :: www.ximian.com       :: ::