Re: "Keep Aligned" mode in nautilus

[Ben Davis <ben xsusio com>]

This is definately a long-awaited fix.. I can't beleive it's actually 
taken this long for something to happen :-).
Before things become too concrete, here is my opinion on how things 
should be implemented:

When you right click the desktop, instead of "clean up by name"  how 
about simply "arrange icons"
In a nautilus preferences menu there should be these options for 
arranging icons:
 * Auto arrange icons (snap-to-grid)  [y/n]
 * Icon spacing [ pixel value, slidebar ]
 * sort by [type, name, etc]
 * do not show "Home" icon [y/n]
 * do not show "Trash" icon [y/n]
 * allow user to specify "fixed" icons, for instance,  "home" icon 
stays at (x,x) position,
    "trash" icon stays at (x,x) position,  "Documents icon stays at 
(x,x) position"

<rant>
I realize that GNOME has the tendancy to include as little customization 
options as possible. While this is a good approch, I think there are 
ways you can have a clean look without sacrificing options.  What we 
need is to have multi-level preferences, at the least, a standard and 
advanced set of prefs, where the advanced preferences are initially 
hidden from the user. An even more advanced user should be given the 
option to tweak config files for all of those off-the-wall preferences. 
Using a layered approach to user preferences is a great way to cater to 
both novice and advanced computer users. If you cater only to novice 
users, then you lose the advanced ones to competition...
</rant>

That said, GNOME is doing a marvelous job, and it has unlimited 
potential.  If done right, it could really help to entice computer users 
to start using open software for every-day computing.