• VSCode Version: 1.16.1
• OS Version: macOS 10.13

Here's what I get if I create a new window:

Those things screaming at me in all-caps at the bottom ("XML DOCUMENT", "PROJECTS", "COMPARE COMMITS", etc.) have no relevance to me and their functionality is unwanted. I want the functionality that the extensions provide, but not the panels. For example, I use the Project Manager extension to switch between projects, but its sidebar panel is completely pointless.

(As an aside, I don't know why they're not context-aware. Why is "XML DOCUMENT", which is a panel that shows an XML document's structure, visible when I don't have an XML document open? Why doesn't it automatically open when I view an XML document? Why isn't there a command palette command to show/hide it? Why is there a panel dedicated to XML instead of a generic "editor structure" panel, anyway? I have many questions.)

I can right-click and select "Remove from Sidebar", and they go away, until I open another window. I have to repeat this process for every new window I open. These annoying things should, at best, be opt-in, not opt-out.

The only extension which is sensible enough to have a global setting is the official Docker extension, which has docker.showExplorer.