Comment 701 for bug 532633

Well, if the community is so blindly ignored, then I should maybe switch distribution...

I have been a convinced Ubuntu-User but if things develop that way...

I think the community is bringing the most new users. It is not the Windows users that find Ubuntu and then really use it. Everywhere I look, there are only a very few leader types that find things themselves - most use what others already successfully use. And Linux is a lot spread by word of mouth. New users want other users near to them who they can ask for help if needed. The buttons-to-the-left-change is definitely making the transition for a Windows user more difficult.

I will not go to teach new users about gconf - they should be able to focus on their work. I myself used that the last time about 5 years ago. I remember it so annoying on Windows that after a fresh installation quite every default setting in the Explorer need to be changed to make it useful. Do we want Ubuntu get the same annoyance-factor?

If you include new themes with the distribution that have the buttons on the left - well do it. But don't set such a theme as default.

@Mark: I didn't notice at any place so far a real reason for the buttons on the left. "Encouraging innovation" is good, but there should be reason. For such experimental major changes the very best would be to first have just an optional additional theme that makes use of this. And there are really more important changes in UI design needed, just one that comes to my mind immediately: A confirmation dialog when the user presses the delete key in Nautilus. I am not sure myself sometimes, if I accidently hit delete when scrolling to the end and then have to examine recycle bin if I have deleted something accidently or not. (I know this is off-topic here, but just one of plenty other examples being more important for a good user experience than moving buttons to the left without any reason). And keep in mind that productivity, reliability and functionality is more important than design. For most computer users the computer is not their main focus - they use it but want to focus on their main business or hobby. "New innovative ideas" from my understanding are only such if they solve a problem or bring new possibilities. Can't see that for this button-issue - the opposite is more true.

@Bernhard: Thanks for filing this - I think it is the best solution only having a new optional theme using this style.