[Usability] Spatiality does not mean that navigational facilities cannot exist

[Maurizio Colucci <seguso forever tin it>]

Hello,

I would like more navigational facilities while preserving the purity of
the spatial paradigm. Let me explain.

I find myself using nonspatial nautilus, because the side panel with the
RECENT FOLDERS history gives an invaluable speedup to my navigation. I
just cannot renounce to it. The history allows me to

1. have the important locations always at hand when I need them,

2. without cluttering the taskbar,

3. and without requiring me to decide early whether I will use a given
folder again (I don't always know that).

When I need to go to a folder I've visited recently, a "bell" rings in
my brain, saying "wait, you've been there recently". This happens to any
human being; it's part of our nature. When this happens, I just look in
the history and I find the folder quickly. Not so in spatial mode: I
must have left the folder open, which requires discipline, and clutters
the taskbar.

Maybe you should exploit human nature a bit more. :-)

But the point I want to make is: WHY DO I HAVE TO RENOUNCE TO THOSE
FACILITIES WHEN I USE SPATIAL NAUTILUS? It seems to me there is no
reason for this; that you are interpreting the spatial metaphor in a
uselessly restrictive way: the spatial metaphor only means that a
nautilus window must represent a folder. So, INSIDE the window you
cannot have, say, a list of recent places, or a list of bookmarks, which
have no relation with the folder. So far so good. But this does NOT
imply that a global sidebar with recent places must not be available!
External to nautilus, I mean. This would NOT contradict the spatial
paradigm.

Currently, when navigatin in spatial mode, I don't have such a history.
The only list of locations I have is in window-list. With the problems I
stated above (it is unsorted, it clutters the window-list, and I am
forced to consciouly decide if I will need a window later).

So I beg you to think about it: a history with recent folders is
necessary in spatial mode too, and it does not contradict the spatial
principles.

I'd like to know what you think about it.

Cheers,
Maurizio