Project Oriented Workspaces by JohnPeterson

It feels as though Windows Managers are clamouring for the next big thing. I think I have something that could be IT. My idea is an extension of the idea of a workspace. In an real world example of a workspace, your tools change depending on the workspace you are in. If you are at home making a sandwich, you have kitchen tools. If you are at your shop, you have things like drills and wrenches. Likewise, in a computer environment, if you're working on a work-related project you should probably have office tools at your fingertips. If you're at home trying to relax, you'd have movies, video games, etc. To take it one step further, whatever workspace you switch to should have its own desktop with files specific to the project. I use the term "project" loosely, because as I just mentioned, a project may just mean messing around. The point is to not clutter your workspace environment with tools and materials not useful to that state of thinking. To make the creation of new workspaces easy, you'd want to be able to create a new workspace based on an existing one. Then you'd only need to define a few core workspaces. Maybe there could be a handful of useful workspace templates. Let me know what you think.

New Concept of Workspace

A workspace is composed of several stuff: related tool box, related directories, related message displayer, related tags, related tasks, etc.

The whole desktop is a workspace switcher, just like "gnome-shell" does. But each individual workspace has its own stuff: tools displayed on the docky, quick access direcoties, messages. When user logs in, thunmbs of workspaces are displayed in front of him/her. The next choice is just to click one and enter it. When he/she finished something and want to change his will from "Work" to "Entertain", a shortcut key such as "Ctrl-Left/Right" will browing him/her a new workspace.

When entering a workspace, it will display related tasks and inform user what to do next. Maybe the GTD method can be binded to a workspace. Gnome-activity-journal and tasks can be improved to work with a workspace.

Sticky Things between Workspaces

Maybe system-wide messages and utilties.

Default Workspaces

  • Some maybe default workspaces can be:

  • Startup: workspace switcher, workspace manager, system manager, user information manager, etc.

  • Network: browsers, IM clients, email clients, Download directory, BitTorrent status, ..., etc.

  • Learn: specific programs, eBooks, etc.

  • Work: some special calculation tools as a scientist, some design tools as an artist, some finance manager tools as an account, etc.

  • Entertain: online movies, music, games, etc.

  • Special: just as the name mentioned. User can define his/her own ones.

Tags

How about a tagged file system? Workspace names are also tags.

Each workspace has its own utilities for special purpose, such as a workspace named "game" will show all gnome games, whether it is installed or not. If people click some utility not installed, the package manager will automatically inform user whether to install it such as from debian repos. The related stuff (such as arts, icons, online resources etc.) will be recommended to user. Package manager can be tightly binded to workspace manager. :-)

Possible Solution?

Does Devil's Pie can implement this feature?

Attic/ProjectOrientedWorkspaces (last edited 2013-12-04 21:07:29 by WilliamJonMcCann)