Comment 85 for bug 40872

Too bad this bug is still around, after 4 (four) years... Ubuntu 10.04, both bugs still here. I think the 2 separate bugs (new "auto-generated" icons overlapping and the missing auto-align to grid) are related each other. And I don't think any "too-complicated-problem" answer could be accepted. Sorry.
My idea is that a 48px cell based grid can expand into greater cells, without breaking the grid itself. up to 48px, then up to 144px, then up to 288px. The space for a 2 lines filename help to keep consistent the grid. Of course longer filenames should break as in the icon view in file manager.
I attach a mockup i did in about 1 hour of "thinking". I'm not usability expert nor developer, just a user. Please, take a look at this, not just flush down the toilet as often seems to be. I'm GNOME user, I like it and your work, but it's a shame that something Microsoft achieved 10 years ago, we can't still have.
If it's too hard to code the behavior of my mockup, let disable resizing of icons and have single size constraining grid (associated with self-align option), with a grid size in pixels that we can set at least via gconf. Then, every new icon should be generated after the last icon present, always. I'm sure this can't satisfy everyone, but surely it is better then the unusable thing it is now.
Keep up the good work.