Re: RFC: Common desktop-wide paths

[Curtis Hovey <sinzui cox net>]

On Sat, 2004-10-02 at 02:28 +0100, Marc O'Morain wrote:

> The original proposal suggested creating the folderset in $HOME:
> $HOME/Documents
> $HOME/Downloads
> $HOME/Photos
> $HOME/Music
> $HOME/Video
> 
> The two main issues raised with this idea were:
> - People do not want clutter in $HOME
> - The folderset must be localised
> 
> I propose that these folders should be created on the desktop, with an
> applicable emblem on each folder (A music note for the Music folder, a
> camera for the Photos folder). Having the folders on the desktop would fit
> nicely in the spatial model of
> 
> Nautilus:
> $HOME/Desktop/Documents
> $HOME/Desktop/Downloads
> $HOME/Desktop/Photos
> $HOME/Desktop/Music
> $HOME/Desktop/Video
> 
> I propose that the location of these folders be user configurable, and be
> stored as Gconf keys for retrievel by any interested application. In this
> way applications can all store files in the correct place.

This is only one way of organizing data, it it organizes the data for
the application's benefit. The user must be free to organize data as
needed.  The user should not be bound to organizational restrictions to
use a tool.

A manager/library app that works with Photos or Music should just know
*all* the user's data, regardless of where it is stored.  If I open my
music manager (Rhythmbox), it should know about all the locations I have
music: My library, newly downloaded files, local and network shared
files, mounted volumes with music.  Users cannot always move their data
to a single location.  Apps that cannot handle separate locations will
discourage the user, and encourage the user to look for better solutions
that *just work*.

In the case of same-data and related mime-type, a smart search service
can accommodate apps that need to know about all files of a particular
type.  Medusa knows about all music it indexes and is accessible via
vfs--and app looks at a URL, and all the music that the user has, and
where it is, is returned to the app.  Similarly, that same URL can be a
vfolder on the desktop that always has the user's music.

Music and Video data intersect.  Some files are music videos, some tools
play both Music and Video.

In the instance of Documents, this is a general category for many kinds
of data.  In an office, and in a home, narrative, spreadsheet,
presentation documents would be organized by project or intent rather
than type.  Certainly many different apps would be looking to a single
location for Documents, but they may not understand all the files in the
Documents folder location.

I do not think the Downloads folder works.  The desktop is the working
folder for new data.  The user organizes and stores desktop files after
they have proven to be valuable.  There is no specific kind of data in
the Download folder.  I and not sure an app would want to store files in
the Download folder--it might want to store music files with other music
files.  Should there be an Upload folder, AKA Public with the latest
patch from Alexander Larsson.

-- 

__C U R T I S  C.  H O V E Y____________________
sinzui cox net
Guilty of stealing everything I am.