exclude_files is read in load_configuration() by the libgnome routine
gnome_config_get_vector(), which uses gnome_config_make_vector() to parse
the list of files.  This function splits a list of space-separated file
names, with non-delimiting spaces backslash-escaped.  However,
save_configuration() joins its vector of filenames into a comma-separated
string.  libgnome provides a routine, gnome_config_assemble_vector, which
creates a properly-formatted string.

I will attach a patch to this bug report to fix this bug.  This patch
applies cleanly against the last release of gnome-pilot and against the
latest CVS.