VFolders isn't a standard yet

[Navindra Umanee]

Hi,

Some refs:

https://listman.redhat.com/pipermail/xdg-list/2002-May/000470.html
https://listman.redhat.com/pipermail/xdg-list/2002-May/000433.html
https://listman.redhat.com/pipermail/xdg-list/2002-June/000481.html
http://www.gnome.org/start/2.0/menuediting.html

<asbestos="on">

This VFolders stuff seems needlessly complicated and overly ambitious.
It tries to solve problems that aren't really much of a problem on
most people's desktops (50 xeyes?) and it does this by trashing the
simple and well-accepted concept[2] of fs-based hierarchical menus
that both GNOME and KDE have successfully implemented and deployed.[1]

It seems to be a matter of adding bloat to solve a problem that could
be solved by preserving the current solution (still supported by
GNOME2 I assume, so not a problem), a little care[3], and
standardising or correcting the right things[4].

Furthermore, I see no evidence that this proposal is being pushed or
has been explicitly approved by the relevant KDE maintainers (I see a
couple of side comments in the archives), though I note Red Hat's
enthusiasm.  The proposal was described as being only a slight
extension at some point, so perhaps the right people didn't pay proper
attention?

</asbestos>

Sorry that this is not timely, but my awareness level of the VFolders
proposal has only recently been raised.  Note also that these are
purely my opinions, and I only speak for myself.  At the very least,
this will hopefully spark productive discussion to get the standard
moving (in or out) and its status elucidated.

Cheers,
Navin.

[2] Look at how much documentation and hand-holding GNOME2 users are
    needing currently.

[1] And probably, Windows, the desktop with the biggest market-share
    in the world does this too.  I know that's not the best
    example but Windows is in fact the desktop with the most 3rd-party
    apps and, ostensibly, they maintain their menus just fine.
    Suddenly, Linux has a problem with the menu directory hierarchy?

[3] And acceptance of functionality limits that don't concern most *users*.

[4] Some of which, such as the list of Categories, can be taken from
    the VFolders proposal. Perhaps a thing or two could be learned
    from Windows 3rd party installers as well, ie perhaps the problem
    could be adequately solved in the package manager/installer (RPM
    mostly, dpkg seems to have it down pat).