(3) Take all developers interested in desktop environments, ask them to collaborate and come up with one (1) modular desktop environment that allows everyone to develop/choose the basic modules they want. For workspaces, windows, docks, and any other window arrangement and quick access features.
I would love being able to select different window managers, different docks, etc., for different workspaces. The best arrangements for each task.
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Thinking bigger, I want persistent named "worksets" of workspaces, that can be arranged, closed, reopened together. One workset at a time, or multiple.
It would help to be able to have the same docs and tools open in multiple windows, with different placements and sizes. Think the same Word doc open and editable in two different workspaces but with different window sizes and placement.
I would optimize worksets for every crafting area, development projects, and work task, etc.
I expect I would end up with dozens of worksets. So the workset opener should be allow for hierarchical organization.
Yup. That's it. That is what I want!
But here you are already assuming that all these developers want to have a modular desktop environment. Not everyone wants that, or workspaces, or docks or whatever.
So yeah, if everyone wanted the same thing, I guess we could end up with one desktop environment that covers everything everyone wants. But (fortunately), the world is more complicated than that :)
Those that don't want a modular environment just use the defaults someone else has created.
Modular doesn't mean you are forced to customize. You can still just choose/use your desktop setup as a single decision.
1) Take all developers interested in desktop environments, ask them to collaborate and come up with one (1) desktop environment that suits everybody's need
2) Let developers who want to experiment with their own desktop environment, do so, with the hope that at least one experiment results in a decent desktop environment. The ones that want to collaborate can do so