Using XDG_PROJECTS_DIR assumes that directory is dedicated to code

[Dylan McCall]

Currently, ground-control uses XDG_PROJECTS_DIR as the directory where users will fetch projects from Launchpad, and thus where the Ground Control interface is presented.

This is problematic, because this directory is likely to be used for far more than just code projects. For example, in my case, I have many sub-directories inside projects; Projects/Code, Projects/Web, Projects/IF, Projects/Graphics, etc.
I believe this can be considered natural behaviour, although unfortunately these XDG user-dirs variables have not been definitively specified (that I am aware of), so this is based on some personal assumptions.

Still, for some examples to this end, take a look at the defaults in other places: Cheese puts its photos in PICTURES_DIR/Webcam, and F-Spot puts them in PICTURES_DIR/Photos, so they stay out of each others’ way and make sense to a user who is browsing through the file system.

To avoid cluttering a user's life (staying out of the way unless actually desired) Ground Control should do the same by working inside a subdirectory of Projects.