I agree that panels should be faded, as the goal of the dashboard is to allow the user to focus on desktop widgets, whereas panel widgets can always be interacted with.
Not fading the panels isn't exactly a usability problem since they don't obstruct desktop widgets, but fading them wold enhance the experience of the dashboard mode.

I agree with Thomas here.

Sounds reasonable to me.

Personally I do not find that reasonable. What you want is kind of reproducing a bug in the plasma4 dashboard. There the panel was not interactive, because the dashboard "window" layer was forced on top of the panel. This created the effect of fading, simply because the window layer.
The panels are clearly part of customization options, and I want to be able to configure my plasma desktop from the dashboard mode exactly like I am able to do from the "Show Desktop" mode.
If I understand the review request (https://reviewboard.kde.org/r/121772/) right, the panel should still be interactive, but it is faded, which imho does not make that much sense for something interactive, as it suggests it being inactive or inaccessible.
I kind of agree with your view, that the panels can always be configured, but it makes imho more sense for them being configured when you see the whole picture (meaning desktop widgets), and not configuring it, when other windows are in the way.
I would suggest the panel is a "desktop widget", only one that is set to be always visible by default (you can also select them to be covered by windows.)

But since the majority here wins, I can live with the faded panel, as long as the panel is still interactive.

(In reply to kdeuser56 from comment #4)
> But since the majority here wins, I can live with the faded panel, as long
> as the panel is still interactive.

Okay, I see we have a problem here: Nobody ever defined what the dashboard is for!
The dashboard mode should _not_ be a configuration mode. Actually if I were to decide, no configuration would be possible in this mode.
The way I see it (but this definitely has to be defined properly) is that the dashboard is meant to be a way to quickly see and use desktop widgets that are otherwise covered by windows.

The "configuration mode" should be a totally different thing, and the VDG is currently thinking about how to implement it properly.

We decided not to make the proposed change at this point, after all.

The whole concept of the dashboard has to be thought through properly before making any changes.

Thomas, I totally agree with you regarding the strategy and having a brainstorm about an explicit configuration mode. 
Besides any configuration it could still be valuable to have access to the panel from the dashboard, imagine taking a note on the dashboard and you quickly want to look something up in a panel popover. e.g. the calendar.
Currently the dashboard is the most efficient and elegant way for me personally to configure plasma without getting rid of all windows or switching to an empty virtual desktop. That way I can configure or quickly change things, still having my work (in the windows) visible in the background.

I question one point: Dashboard should only be meant to view/access things, not to interact with things? I take down many notes quickly with the dashboard and often delete notes widgets, because I worked the list off, or resize the notes widget to make things more visible. That would be something I really miss. Maybe we could start a brainstorm in the forums?

(In reply to kdeuser56 from comment #7)
> I question one point: Dashboard should only be meant to view/access things,
> not to interact with things? I take down many notes quickly with the
> dashboard and often delete notes widgets, because I worked the list off, or
> resize the notes widget to make things more visible. That would be something
> I really miss. Maybe we could start a brainstorm in the forums?

This is something Kai Uwe brought up as well and it is definitely a valid point we have to consider.
We will have to discuss the whole issue, although a quick brainstorm might not be enough, since we have to look at the big picture of Plasma interaction.

Me and a few other people are currently discussing the right approach for the whole effort, so stay tuned for an announcement on the forum and/or the Planet soon.

Given the dashboard no longer exist as is and the new show desktop replacement hides the panels, I will close this bug.