So i was thinking.

Currently:
Themes are set to have a certain amount of columns. The theme itself has to be modified to add more. (Ex: i want zetagenesis to be 4 column)

Thinking:
What if the administration has setting for *'layout style'. The amount of columns is set by the admin UI. (variable/width of template, number of columns, other..)

But how would it all fit together?- there would have to be some familiarity between this idea and the current ideas
Idea #1: Lets say a *"Type A" 3 column theme is a setting in the Admin UI. (presets on admin so a standard would be enforced, but with the ability to create new ones)

USAGE?.If theme designer A. release theme to site X. and site X would would show how the theme would look like in Preset "Type A" or other standard preset.

Theme Structure.So the design of these themes. Some themes have the left and right column the same, some don't. why not have two styles of left and two styles of right columns (maybe inner or outer) and a content column. and the layout type would set these up in a certain that we can call a *"Type A" theme.

End Users Point Of View? Different system yet similar output. Instead of assigning blocks to (Left|Right|Top|Bottom|ETC..) a new name will be used to not psychologically limit the positing of the blocks. (but a limit would be nice, who would like trying to select hundreds of different block positions? (maybe a *"block positing creator" thing)

-its what i call it, maybe i'm calling it wrong
*'layout style' - the design of the template/theme (amount of columns and their positioning)
*'Type A' - my made up name for the standard 3 column layout with the new inner columns
*"block positing creator" - i'm not sure myself, but maybe an item we can use to create position, and with ability to be named or kept tracked of.(maybe call a block position 'left'?)

Quote:If we number them, there would be a psychological limit in ordering them.

For the moment there are 8 columns possible and altough they have a position name, theme designers are free in their placement on the page and how to divide a page. I don't think we need more columns than these 8. You are not obliged to use them all. Altough a lot of combinations are possible, only a few made it as practical and acceptable.
If you want to change from one theme to another, without changing a layout (division) of the page, it is sometimes enough to copy only the CSS files.