Extending xdg-user-dirs

[David Nečas]

On Wed, Jan 15, 2014 at 10:29:49PM +0100, Alexandre Franke wrote:
> More generically, user generated content and work files are not
> exactly the same as purchased, downloaded, or transfered (from a
> device) media.
> 
> How do you think this should be handled? So far I've seen editing apps
> rely on newly created directories, usually in $HOME, but as I
> understand they are the ones you're trying to move into the
> xdg-user-dirs.

In my experience, with users ranging from completely clueless to system
programmers, people do not organise user-created files by type.  Never.
Really never.

On the extremely clueless end of the spectrum they may not be able to
keep any coherent organisation, but if they are able they organise
created files by something I would call ‘projects’.  A project is a
group of files that are united by purpose, not type.  This is a strong
force binding the files together conceptually.  When you create a
presentation, you want the various source pieces, documents, data,
graphics, multimedia, references, code and whatever in one place (at
least conceptually, if not physically).  Etc.

IMO ‘I am working on this project now’ is a workflow that needs to be
supported better for user-created files.  Detailed classification by
type and application is harmful in this case and should not be
encouraged for content creation/editing applications.

Someone may record sound or take pictures pictures randomly.  But if the
activity has a purpose, it is more important that ‘I am recording
BECAUSE...’ than ‘I am recording BY THE MEANS OF...’.

Just my 0.02 €.

Yeti