macosxhints – Set a permanent column view default for the Finder:
A relatively trivial annoyance for several years, I’ve hated the fact my preference to change the Finder’s windows to column view never seemed to “stick.” I finally discovered that this apparent bug is actually a feature: The only folders your preferences will “stick” on are the folders in your own home folder. Since permissions are an issue, nothing outside of it will adhere to your preference.