who puts files/folders on their desktop?

[fuzzylogic25]

I want to know if people put files/folders on their desktop. I use to put them on the desktop when using windows xp. I had commonly used files like to do lists, some pictures and few documents. I guess they were things I always needed to access.

It seems like people dont really do that now and use their desktop for gadgets/widgets, conky etc.

So I want to know who still puts files/folders on their desktop and if you dont, where do you put the files/folders you need to access all the time (for me its mainly text files, writing little notes here and there).

[Spice Weasel]

I have nothing on my desktop, because imo it looks a lot better clean.

[Swagman]

I have nothing on my desktop, because imo it looks a lot better clean.

^ THIS^

+ Eleventy billion

My Desktop (http://www.upload3r.com/serve/280910/1285691973.jpeg)

Nice & Clean....& Autumny too

[aG93IGRvIGkgdWJ1bnR1Pw==]

I'm pretty OCD about keeping my desktop clean.

[jfreak_]

^ THIS^

+ Eleventy billion




^THIS^

+ 1.3 billion

[BigCityCat]

I don't put anything on my desktop. I reduce redundancy as much as possible.

[Wakawakamush]

my ipod is almost always on my desktop because i didn't found a way to keep it of my desktop when i plug it in, and somethimes there are .deb files and other installers

[poisonkiller]

I'm using KDE and I have 1 desktop just for plasmoids (every desktop has its own activity). It has 3 folders I use most, CPU monitor, calculator and a blackboard. Other desktops are clean, for using programs and playing games.

[realzippy]

...isn't it Desktop's job???

[wkhasintha]

Only mounted partitions and a temp folder to save my all the downloads. Icons shrunk in to smallest possible amount to avoid a clumsy desktop ..

:D

[Jay Car]

Isn't that what having multiple virtual desktops is all about? One of them can be kept clean and pretty, easy to switch to if visitors stop by.

I always save to my desktops during work hours. I hate having to dig into folders to look for things while I'm working. But at the end of each day it all gets put away and sorted into appropriate folders on an external drive, though I might set out files needed for the next day's work.

I guess I just use my desktop like a real desktop. It's messy while I work and cleaned up when the work day is over. That's what desktops are for, right? :D

[mos4567]

I suppose I am in the minority here but I put folders on my desktop. I simply can not stand a "clean" desktop, it drives me nuts.

[malspa]

Neither. I don't put anything on my desktop. Stuff I'm working on goes into my /home directory. I set up my menus and panel so that I can get to everything quickly, so there's no need to have stuff cluttering up my desktop -- which is usually covered up by an application window, anyway.

[red_Marvin]

The only reason for me to have a desktop at all, is so that I don't have a hole through my monitor when I close all the windows.
I don't keep icons or widgets on it, since both would be obscured when I actually do something with the computer i.e. have windows open.

[trekrem]

I don't store files/folders on my desktop long term, I do however use it for temporary storage of files/folders for things I am currently working on. And I also do not use widgets of any kind.

[fuzzylogic25]

some people are saying stuff like "i have a clean desktop and a messy one". which doesnt make sense to me. You can only have one desktop am i right? you can have 4 workspaces, which manages different window tabs on the taskbar, but not DESKTOPS which contain the icons. correct me if im wrong.

[Frogs Hair]

Option three , no folders , widgets or task-bars cluttered with shortcuts. I have a dock with seven small icons.

[qalimas]

I keep all my files neatly organized in my user folder, however I keep shortcuts to the files/folders I actively work on. For example, when programming, I'll keep a shortcut to the project folder on my desktop. I'll also keep files on my desktop that I have started to write (such as a document) and move them to a folder in my user directory once I'm done with it.

[Rinzwind]

I have movie files on my Desktop for easy access.

I also removed /home/{user}/Desktop and made it into a symlink to my 'not to format for any reason'-disc in my notebook where I also store my post install script and backups of software I need :)


some people are saying stuff like "i have a clean desktop and a messy one". which doesnt make sense to me. You can only have one desktop am i right? you can have 4 workspaces, which manages different window tabs on the taskbar, but not DESKTOPS which contain the icons. correct me if im wrong.

You can have different icons on all workspaces with a little trick.
Make 4 directories. Like for instance...
/disc2/1/
/disc2/2/
/disc2/3/
/disc2/4/

remove Desktop from your home and type
ln -s /disc2/1/ /home/{user}/Desktop

Now F5 on the desktop and the content of /disc/1/ is shown.
Change the

ln -s /disc2/1/ /home/{user}/Desktop
to
ln -s /disc2/2/ /home/{user}/Desktop

press f5 on the desktop[ and now the contents of /disc2/2/ are shown on the desktop.

[cra1g321]

When i used XP i used to put application shortcuts on the desktop. For linux however i never seem to.
The only thing i have is the wallpaper and the AWN

[markp1989]

I have nothing on my desktop, because imo it looks a lot better clean.

+1

I dont have anything on my desktop, in gnome, i leve the default wallpaper, in openbox, i just have a black background.

Only time a desktop is visable on my pc is when i have all apps closed, so am probably not at the desk.

[ster10]

Put what you use most where ever it is most convenient. I would rather see a file I use all the time than a very pretty, but very useless, widget. Can anyone explain KDE 4.x to me? The Desktop is up in the corner; the rest of the screen seems to be useless empty space. I am sure this is somehow for those of us who do not like to put files on the desktop, but it does not make sense to me.

ster10

[poisonkiller]

.... Can anyone explain KDE 4.x to me? The Desktop is up in the corner; the rest of the screen seems to be useless empty space. I am sure this is somehow for those of us who do not like to put files on the desktop, but it does not make sense to me.

ster10

You can move the "desktop", you can make it "fullscreen", you can remove it and replace with a big clock or something. Also you can have a different wallpaper and widgets on every virtual desktop (only if you enable it).

[RiceMonster]

Neither option. I don't put anything on my desktop, with the exception of a weather gadget occasionally.

[qamelian]

I never store "live" data on my desktop. I prefer to store it in an appropriate folder within my Documents folder. If it is data that I currently need to access frequently, I may put a shortcut to the document or its folder on my desktop, but that is all.

[James7]

I use the desktop as a temporary workspace, saving files there I'm working on. When I'm done, I put them where they go and clean it up. :)

[Finalfantasykid]

My Desktop is filled with my most recent documents that I have used. It is also the location of my browser downloads since it is easiest to access them there. Once I am done with a file, I clean it up, but I usually have around 15 documents/folders on my desktop.

[Version Dependency]

If I put files and folders on my desktop, then it would take up precious space...space that could have been used for more CONKY!

:guitar:

[Lucradia]

I can't answer either. I have mounted devices on it, and nothing else, no folders, shortcuts, etc. Just mounted devices.

Fail poll is fail. (a mounted device constitutes as a symlink or shortcut on the desktop, but is still not a proper shortcut.)

[Austin25]

I would rather have my background uncluttered.

[cariboo]

Isn't a "dirty" desktop, a sign of a "dirty" mind? :) :)

[Austin25]

Isn't a "dirty" desktop, a sign of a "dirty" mind? :) :)
No, but a cluttered desktop means a cluttered mind.

[Barrucadu]

I have no desktop - I set a wallpaper (with `feh`) so I don't get the default X one, but that's it.

[jjakspaw6]

@ home, ubuntu (my laptop)
What ever I am working on is on the desktop then its moved to a folder when I'm done.... so its semi clean
@home, Win7 I have a few icons but everything is in folders on HD2
@home XBMC/winXP MC NOTHING on desktop


@work, windows 7, need 2 monitors because of # of items and folders on desktop..... This tends to drive my manager nuts!
@work support server.... desktop always has files on it.... usually something to do with FTP... or maintenance notes
@work Main Server... clean desktop
@work lab PC's.... depends on how long an os stays on it usually txt docs of bug test notes.

[zer010]

I might have a temporary text file just for cut/paste jobs and even then it's "cluttered". One thing that always drove me nuts is seeing peoples' Win* desktops half filled with shortcuts to everything that can be accessed via the Start menu. At first, the clean desktop of Ubuntu/GNOME was a little startling. Since then, I absolutely LOVE it! It is basically what I've been looking for without realizing it. Now even the "cleanest" Win* desktops look cluttered as hell.

[foxmulder881]

I still put a lot of crap on the Desktop because I have a direct link on my bottom panel in kde for quick access.

See...

http://t.simimage.com/xHuyn (http://simimage.com/view/xHuyn)

[Cam42]

No, because this is why
http://cdn.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/desktop_icons.jpg

[markp1989]

No, because this is why
http://cdn.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/desktop_icons.jpg

that how my sisters pc looks, and worse then that, there all called "new folder" "new folder 1" "new folder 2" etc

[foxmulder881]

that how my sisters pc looks, and worse then that, there all called "new folder" "new folder 1" "new folder 2" etc

Oh yeah, the habits of Windows users!

I guess it's hard to compare this Desktop Files situation of Windows vs Linux. In Windows you have no control over multiple desktops and virtual desktops etc. But in Linux, I save them to desktop and have a button on my bottom panel as mentioned in my previous. And it's all good because you don't have to look at it if you don't want to. Default desktop for normal use and click the Desktop button and it bring up my folder view of the Desktop. Works a treat! Thanks KDE!
Yet doing the very same thing in Windows and that's what you end up with!

[Thomas_Bates]

I keep my desktop fairly clean. I have drives which are mounted displayed, and my Projects folder, nothing else.

[NightwishFan]

I like a functional 'desktop' however not as a file dumping ground. Though currently I use it for nothing, as I do not like widgets. I think the gnome shell and unity are getting it right.

[sideaway]

Mine had some screen shots I'd taken ages ago, automatically made links from Wine, a conky and mounted partitions.

I never look at my desktop, so don't really care what's there. This thread made me clean it up, I now only have mounted partitions and a conky.


Essentially, firefox is my background. It's always maximised, and it's the only thing that really gets maximised, even documents. Evolutions gets maximised on my secondary monitor most of the time, so I guess my backgrounds are Firefox on monitor 1 and Evolution on monitor 2.

[ubunterooster]

I don't store files/folders on my desktop long term, I do however use it for temporary storage of files/folders for things I am currently working on. And I also do not use widgets of any kind.
Same

[Khakilang]

I had nothing on my desktop except for my external drive icon when I plug it in. Just enjoy the wallpaper.