There is a great article entitled Abstracting the Linux Desktop from the File-system which details how you use the desktop, and how GNOME has a good start, but really isn't using what they have to the full potential. This thing sounds like Engel wrote it or something! :) Lots of good idea, examples, and ways to work better.
Do you ever hear complaints from OsX users about the OsX file-system? Is the OsX file-system any more intuitive than the Linux one? Do you even know anything about the OsX file-system? Will you ever know anything about the OsX file-system? Probably not. Microsoft have added the My Documents Folder to Windows... Apple have abstracted the desktop from the file-system in OsX... Which OS is acclaimed for being intuitive and easy to use?