Eli Zaretskii wrote:
> We cannot assume the user prefers the XDG conventions

We also cannot assume that a new user prefers the traditional conventions. On 
the GNU/Linux platform that I'm typing this message on, XDG conventions are 
commonly used by applications and are friendlier to new users.

That being said, you and Stefan both voiced objections, so I slaved away on a 
hot stove and wrote the attached proposed patch, which I hope addresses them.

This area has been quite a mess for some time, and it's not much fun to work on 
it - no wonder nobody else volunteered! If it's any consolation, the attached 
patch does shrink the number of lines in the source, ever so slightly.