An ingenious approach here:
http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-6346_11-5034408-2.html
but unfortunately not easily changeable.

Alternatively set your icon groups manually and then “lock” in the positions with
www.iconsaver.com
Could be further embellished by changing icon colors/images to match the groups, even use an icon creator to create a dummy text icon with the group heading.

However all hard work when you consider the concept was already there in Windows 3.

I use “John’s Adventures Desktop Switcher” on every computer to change to a random picture from my photo albums every minute (or 2). Icons get in the way! At least XP has an option to make them all disappear, but I hate XP and use 2K on 3/4 machines.

So I hate them.

Only good use? If you just installed a new program, and you want to remind yourself to try it out before you forget it exists. Then I leave it on my desktop until I try it out. Once I try it out, if I like it, that icon goes to my start menu. If I don’t, it goes to my recycle bin.

I still didn’t understand your explanation, by the way. There’s no folders at all? Just arrange them manually then! Auto-arrange is evil, unless you have LOTS.

Or do what Carolyn’s parents do.. NEVER DELETE ONE, EVER.

Their entire desktop is filled with icons. THE WHOLE THING.

Here’s the kicker: They are like FOUR LEVELS DEEP. So you literally would have to dig a hole in the desktop to find your buried icons.

Revolting. :)

I would not have to click once to get into the group. I would still have all of my desired icons on the desktop, but they would be auto-arranged such that similar program icons would be near each other. It would just enable me to visually find the icon I’m looking for more easily.

What would work, for me, would be to have control over the “Auto-arrange” functionality on a per-folder basis. One way to implement this would be:
1. allow me to write a little script to define the way comparisons are done for icon sorting (like the Java Comparator interface)
AND,
2. allow icons/shortcuts to be associated with a tag [aka label/keyword]

Multiple tags would make the comparison more challenging, but if I gave something multiple tags, and could write my custom comparator code, it would be my responsibility to work that out.

This way, your average “dumbass” would never even be exposed to this functionality, but developers (like myself) could take advantage of this custom sorting API.

I know it sounds like a lot of work, but if the API was there for me to harness, I envision just a tiny piece of script code could do the grouping I want.

I’m not sure why I use the desktop at all, since I do use my start menu (with keyboard) most of the time. For some reason, though, I do still find myself sometimes wanting to run stuff from the desktop. Maybe I just need to get over that. :)

If 2 clicks are so annoying, why do you want grouping? You’d still have to click once to get into the group, and again to click the icon. I don’t see how that’s going to save any effort at all.

Programs are meant to be started from the Start Menu! That, too, is usually 2 clicks. I do it the same way you do (small icons, ‘main’ start menu).

But I doni’t see how this idea would save anything, effort wise. And I’m sure it would simply confuse a lot of dumbasses! :)