In Finder Prefs, does unchecking "Show these items on the Desktop" mean certain connected drives won't "mount" at all -- or they WILL mount but simply not appear as Desktop icons?

Question

In the Finder Preferences panel, when one unchecks a category of "items" (e.g. "Hard Disks," or "CDs, DVDs and iPods," etc.), does that mean that items of that type will not even "mount" as a connected external drive when they get plugged in to the computer? Or, alternately, DO these external devices "mount," and can be accessed via various menu commands or keyboard shortcuts, but it's just that they won't appear on the Desktop as a "Desktop icon"?
The terminology used in the Prefs panels makes me think that they DO mount, they just don't "appear" as icons. Otherwise, the Prefs panel would say "Mount these items as connected drives when plugged in."
Right?
If one unchecks a category, and then connects or inserts a device of that category to the Mac, and then unceremoniously unplugs it from the computer, will one get an error message saying (forget the exact words) "Don't disconnect external drives before first Ejecting them!" Or...not?

Answer 1

If iTunes is already running when I plug in the iPod, then I briefly get the "Connected - Eject before disconnecting" message, but then it goes away after a few seconds, and the iPod screen reverts to the normal home screen, which means I can unplug it without ejecting it.
So the three potential statuses are:
1. Plug in iPod and never launch iTunes = iPod need to be ejected before disconnecting.
2. First plug in iPod and subsequently launch iTunes = get unwanted "connected" message until the moment that iTunes is running, at which point it disappears.
3. First launch iTunes and then plug in iPod = iPod briefly gives "connected" message, but then reverts to home page.
So, it seems that having iTunes open in these settings will (after a brief period at most, or immediately) allow me to unplug the iPod without "Ejecting" it first.
However...I don't want to launch iTunes! The whole point is to just be able to plug in and unplug the iPod without having to fiddle with anything on the Mac. My original problem was that I had to "Eject" the iPod in order to unplug it -- but if the only way to solve that problem is to launch iTunes, then all I've done is replace one problem with another.
I don't want to have to launch iTunes or have it running, now or ever. I just want to recharge my iPod.
So, while we certainly have learned a lot so far (and thanks for your patience!), I don't want to end up with a different problem than the one I started with.
So, the amended question is now:
Is there a way I can simply plug in and unplug my iPod to my Mac for the purposes of recharging only, without having to either "Eject" the iPod from the Mac or having to launch iTunes (manually or automatically)?