conversation me and greg had:

<auspex> On OS/2, which uses Pick Up and Drop [->], the cursor (mouse pointer thing) has an indicator as long as something is picked up. Becasue of the way cursors are done in X, that can't really work. However, it would be possible to use an override-redirect window slightly offset from the cursor (much like DnD does) to achieve the effect.
<auspex> I type too long without pressing enter.
<daveB> someone else expressed an idea about using the idea of a stack sort of
<daveB> i'd have to find the comments...
<daveB> but it sounded interesting
<auspex> I think I did see that.
<auspex> OS/2 only allowed Pick Up once, though you could select many things to be picked up at once. I don't see why the "hand" should have the limitations of a real hand.
<daveB> yeah i think the select the icons, pick them up and drop them somewhere would be a 

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Comments to the nautiuls list by "andrew jackson" <andre_j@freemail.absa.co.za>

I have an idea.

I think "copy and paste" is an acceptable way of 
moving files around. The only problem I have is that I sometimes forget which 
files I have selected (or accidentally selected perhaps) and then I move the 
wrong files, etc and have to undo somehow!! 

My proposed solution is more of a "pick up, put 
down" metaphor. (it applied more to moving than to copying). When you "pick up" 
a file, an small icon which resembles the file being moved appears next to 
the mouse pointer. This makes the user feel that their file is 
"attached" to the pointer and goes with them until they are ready to put it 
down. when you want to "put down" the file, the icon disappears and the 
copy/move operation happens. if you pick up another file before putting the 
first one down, a second;icon appears next to the first one. This sort of 
works like a stack - you push files onto the stack and you pop them somewhere 
else. When you put down files, it performs the operation on the last one picked 
up.

I like the idea of a stack because I can select a 
bunch of different files at once and then drop them in different places because 
I know which file comes next.
If anyone has played (the excellent) dungeon 
keeper;series of games, you will recognize this from there!

Obviously this idea needs to be expanded and might 
turn out to be totally useless - just an idea :-)