[Usability] "common folders" idea (rfc)

[eric poscher <eric poscher gmx at>]

Hi all, I've been reading this list for a while now, and have an idea which
might ease the use of different applications more attractive.
I'm currently living in Berlin, Germany where I'm also part of the DeepaMehta
UserGroup, which is a Networked sematic Desktop project. This made me think
about the desktop concept and metaphor..
...

Usually we tend to have different folders in our $HOME for different projects
one for a website project, one for the thesis, one for each work/job project,
another for our favorite opensource project or linux/computing stuff.

Then there is quite a lot of such "project folders" which are also existing in
my e-mail client, the firefox bookmark structure and maybe also in the gnotime
application.

What I like to propose is to create a directory ~/projects in which there is a
few folders related to different folders. This, or several such folders can be
configured as common folders.
Common does not necessarily mean they are shared in the network, although this
can be done in a further step. Common refers to the fact that the contained
folder structure will be used amongst a set of applications.

Now, any "common folders" enabled application will make that structure available.
When I create a new folder inside my ~/projects there will be a folder with the
same name in my mailclient, and I can start to put related email into this folder.
The folder will also be made available in my browsers bookmarks etc...

*Some further ideas:

I remember in the very beginning I had a folder for word documents another one
for databases or so.. Probably I'm not the only one who stored files in a
similar way and there might be worse..

Switching to a folder structure with a certain content-related meaning is much
more useful. It seems to me, that not all the applications have realized this fact.

*In a further step
it might become an option to let the browser store those common folder
bookmarksdirectly inside the specific folder, so when I copy the folder to my
usb-stick
or if I make it available to a workgroup it is still available.

*Maybe "common folders" is just a bad name, so let me know, if "project
folders"or "context folders" would be preferable in your opinion?



I'd like to hear, what you think about this concept.
	Does it make sense to you?
	Do you think it would be useful to integrate it into gnome desktop & apps?


thanks for your feedback,
eric poscher


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