For the sake of all different users that use the gnome desktop environment, I suggest a new very simple application which can set the user type (i.e. novice, medium, expert). The idea is the global setting of a user profile that can add or remove some configurable functions of the gnome applications. In this way, a novice user can set a minimalistic desktop (default gnome), instead a medium or expert one can have more functions.
To do this, the application needs to set a new environment variable that set the user type. So, every gnome application must read that environment variable and costumize their "Preference" menuitem, in relationship of the user type. This would be an extension of the gnome concept, mantaining the minimalistic idea for all new user, but allowing medium and expert users to configure more and a novice user to improve its ability IF AND ONLY IF he/she wants (that is an answer to the Linus Torwald's sentence "This 'users are idiots, and are confused by functionality' mentality of Gnome is a disease. If you think your users are idiots, only idiots will use it. I don't use Gnome, because in striving to be simple, it has long since reached the point where it simply doesn't do what I need it to do.", without changing your perspective but giving to the medium and expert user more interest in this environment.). Regards Piero Dalle Pezze
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