Since this has been re-activated:

Current behavior, as I understand it:

1. drag a link (text) to desktop, get a webloc

2. drag an image with no link to desktop, get the image

3. drag an image WITH a hyperlink applied to desktop, get a webloc

4. SHIFT-drag an image with a link to desktop, get the image


While I have gotten used to holding down the shift key to drag an image with a link on it (when I want the image on my desktop, not a link) I still would LOVE TO SEE a preference to toggle 3 and 4 above.

I personally would like to drag an image to my desktop and always get an image. Not a link. For me, 99% of the time I'm trying to drag an interesting image to the desktop, not save a link.

A good example? Let's say I go to a site which offers desktop wallpaper. The way they set it up is that clicking a thumbnail pops a javascript window with the full-size image. Further trying to be "helpful" they have put a javascript link on the large image that closes the window for me. So now, if I drag the wallpaper to my desktop, I get a "javascript:" webloc. Why would I want that?

Now, since many people prefer the current behavior, and perhaps once in a while I'd prefer to switch back to the current behavior myself, I say add it as a preference, which toggles the behavior. Even as a hidden "advanced user" pref.

I have to say my thoughts on this were identical to MarsViolet. I realize you guys have a rich history (ala the NeXT days), and ways you have done things in the past are tied to that, but this is an area where the past behavior of the app is not as relevant (IMO) as the way people expect things to work.