Re: "Keep Aligned" mode in nautilus

[Dave Camp <dave ximian com>]

On Sun, 2003-05-04 at 12:16, Ben Davis wrote:
> 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"

I'd like the usability people to comment on specific string changes. 

> In a nautilus preferences menu there should be these options for 
> arranging icons:

>   * Auto arrange icons (snap-to-grid)  [y/n]

I don't know if this needs to be a pref in the dialog, it's in the
context menu for the desktop, and (for right now) it only affects the
desktop.

>   * Icon spacing [ pixel value, slidebar ]

If people need to tweak their icon spacing, we're doing something wrong
(see the response I sent to jeff)

>   * sort by [type, name, etc]
>   * do not show "Home" icon [y/n]
>   * do not show "Trash" icon [y/n]

I'm not sure how useful these would be to most people.

>   * 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"

Getting a good ui for this sort of thing seems tough.  I think it would
be kinda neat to have a desktop layout mode that put special icons in
special places, but I haven't thought much about the best way to do
that.

> <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>

This has been discussed over and over, and I don't want to start another
discussion of it here.

> 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.

Thanks :)

-dave