You know, it would be really cool and a step forward in the right direction IMO if mate-appearance-properties was replaced with a superior version that would be internet-connected. Maybe not immediately, and behind a wall of legal text, but if people were allowed to search for theme things within the appearance properties and download from an available selection presented only with previews of these items, then users could see a wallpaper they want, select it for download, then have it automatically applied.
If said items are available in a package, then appearance properties should prompt for a user password to download and install the necessary packages, reloading itself afterward. If the item is available via the web, download and install with wget and reload. Ultimately, the motivation behind this idea is to have an “Approved” set of theme items that are downloadable and installable right from appearance properties to minimize use of the web browser, which would remove a bunch of steps for users who simply want to beautify their desktop.
