Let me redirect a little back to the original post.
Any discussion other than UI expectations is premature.
The original question is still primarily about user expectations, not the code used to implement.
Using Interface for jQuery seems a logical start, but is not a requirement. (And the dual MIT/GPL license of Interface issue is noted here:
http://groups.drupal.org/node/2512).
It seems that we may have a significant number of contrib modules (and some core) that would benefit from a Drag-and-Drop UI. Given that, it seems wise to have some common guideliness, so that users don't face different UI for each implementation.
Personally, I like Drag-and-Drop-and-Save (automated), but I don't want to implement that if Panels or Menus or Blocks uses Drag-and-Drop-and-Click-to-Save.
Once we have common guidelines, we can build a best-case code module (or .js file). And that (eventually) might move to core.
- Ken Rickard
agentrickard