Disabling the padlock icon for read-only .desktop files

[Calum <caluml gmail com>]

> This is very easy to deal with:-
> Using a terminal window;
>
> $ cd  /home/<user-name>
> $su   <enter>
> Password:  <type root password, <enter>>
> # chown -R  <use-name>   Desktop  <enter>
>
> and quit the terminal. Now the owner of that profile owns and has full
> rights to anything on the Desktop.

That would be very good.
Except I want them to be unable to change things - I just don't want
the padlock displayed, as it's unfriendly.