rawhide report: 20050711 changes

[Jeff Spaleta]

On 7/12/05, Horst von Brand <vonbrand at inf.utfsm.cl> wrote:
> Right. And changing the desktop background is a regular operation,
> /absolutely requiring/ an entry there.

Since changing the desktop wallpaper is sort of inherently a "desktop"
operation, you are after all manipulating the "desktop" with that
command, it seems perfectly logical to me to expose that operation via
interaction with context menu on the "desktop".  Just like I expect
gnome-terminal to have some "terminal" operations in its right-click
menu of the "terminal". I expect to have "desktop" operations in the
context menu of the "desktop"  If there were more "desktop"
manipulation operations competing for space in the menus then you
could have a nice lively discussion about the relative merits of how
to expose specific operations as context menu items. But there aren't
that many desktop specific operations to choose from really. At most
there is room to discuss the inclusion of creating a new server
connection to parallel the new folder and file creation, but I
honestly can't think of any other desktop specific operation that
manipulates the appearence and contents of the desktop.

I don't really think opening any specific app being it a terminal or
xchat or a web browser or email or whatever... is inherently a
"desktop" operation.  If the desktop is suppose have an open terminal
item in its context menu.. then my web browser  could also have an
open terminal right click item and so could my mail client. My mouse
spends more time hovering over an email or web page than it does
hovering over blank desktop.  Hell,... make "open a terminal" a
standard item in every context and File menu for all gtk apps, if
getting access to a terminal is really more important than getting
access to any other application that lives in the menus or as laucher
panel items.  In fact, forget the terminal.... how about we hardwire
gtk to make "open emacs" the top listing in every menu.

> 
> Oh, come on. Sure, GUIs /can/ be used in a just-point&drool way, but the
> commands are what makes *ix powerful.

Then use the menus or set the keyboard binding to launch the terminal.
There's no reason that "powerful" commands need to be accessible via
the desktop context menu... by default.

-jef