[Usability] problems with keep aligned & launcher names

[Linux Power <powerpc5 yahoo com>]

Keep aligned behaviour : This is when the "Keep
aligned" right click desktop option is selected

Column 1 is the first left column, keep align uses to
align the desktop icons.

a. This screenshot shows how icons look like when
icons are aranged (= column 1)

http://yahoomail1.ifreepages.com/gnome/desktop3.png

b. This screenshot shows how icons look like when
icons are aranged in next column (= column 2)

http://yahoomail1.ifreepages.com/gnome/desktop2.png


Although the column 2 appears to be normal, but if you
observe more carefully the spacing between the left
edge and column 2 is more than normal. 

c. In this screenshot I have added a launcher with a
very long name. The launcher is aligned to column 1. 

http://yahoomail1.ifreepages.com/gnome/desktop4.png

d. In this screenshot the long launcher is moved to
column 2. This looks much better than above but still
the spacing looks more than normal.

http://yahoomail1.ifreepages.com/gnome/desktop5.png

Effectively column 1 should never be used unless the
launcer name is no more than 6 alphabets.

e. I added a bunch of launchers. Initially even though
keep align was on, the icons didnt arrange themself (a
bug?) they were scattered all over the desktop. I
arranged them in column 2 & 3 since putting them in
column 1 is frutile. Now the problem becomes more
compounded - the launcher names in 2 & 3 overlap.

http://yahoomail1.ifreepages.com/gnome/desktop6.png

f. In this screenshot I have moved the Postscript
viewer launcher in column 4 (from column 3). It looks
much better than previous, but still the problem of
inconsistency is visible.

http://yahoomail1.ifreepages.com/gnome/desktop7.png

g. I finally deselected the "keep aligned option" and
moved the icons appropriatly. The two launchers are in
column 1.5

http://yahoomail1.ifreepages.com/gnome/desktop1.png

IMHO, problems/bugs with keep aligned:

1. column 1 not needed (?).

2. column 2 has more than normal spacing.

3. Launcher with long names can overlap in adjacent
columns.

4. Spacing between the adjacent columns is less then
needed. And spacing between column n & n+2 is more
than normal.

5. The maximum horizontal length of launcher name is
more - causes adjacent launcher names to overlap.

6. Launchers with a long names take a huge amount of
desktop estate.

The 6th point I would like to elobrate more : Here is
how it can be handled. The launcher name (eg :
launcher named
"ThisIsAVeryBigLauncherNameJustForChecking") is cut
down (eg : "ThisisA...") when it is out of focus. When
the launcher is bought into focus the full name
appears. (Can someone please check this behaviour on
other GUI OS)


ps : please excuse my grammer & spellings :)


		
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