I'd like to request intellihide or autohide behaviors for the top panel.

Here are some benefits of intellihide or autohide for the top panel.

1) More screen space for applications especially when they are maximized.
2) Less visual debris and distraction. For example, wireless signal updates often steal my attention.
3) Having _all_ the shell components in one place, the activities screen, provides consistency.
4) Might eliminate the need for fullscreen behavior since maximized application are essentially fullscreen.
5) Might provide a better experience for mobile devices where screen space is a premium.
6) Less or no visual distractions from the shell means users can focus exclusively on their tasks.

Here are some drawbacks.

1) If the top panel is automatically hidden, it might be difficult to discover. A possible solution might be to make trigger widgets visible. Or to show the bar for a few seconds when a user logs in before hiding it.
2) The counter argument to this proposal on my blog is that users want to be able to glance at the clock very quickly. They lose this convenience if the top panel is hidden.
3) I know designers go to lengths to make their products stand out by giving them a visual identity that distinguishes their products from others. Well visual identity might be lost if the panel is automatically hidden. However, if you play with making trigger widgets visible, it might evolve the current look of gnome shell and give it a unique identity.

Definitions:

- Intellihide hides the top panel when the an application is maximized, or optionally when a window is over it.

- Autohide has the top panel hidden by default and reveals it via a trigger action or area. This behavior is similar to what the notification area currently does.