[Gimp-developer] Regular GIMP news; lack of developers

[grafxuser <gfx user online de>]

Hi,

currently I see the gimp.org news page updated round about one time per 
month.

Why not tell the readers more often about GIMP's progress? Look at 
digikam.org. Nearly every week there comes a message, showing what's 
possible with Digikam and that the project is still alive.
To show this progress for GIMP, you could publish
- which features are done,
- which (severe or important) bugs where fixed,
- who provided the most or best bugreports or bugfixes,
- which bug reports need more info (bugs in state NEEDINFO)
- which help is currently needed most (with specific tasks),
- what are interesting or new plug-ins in the plug-in-registry,
- a feature roadmap,
- a link to an interesting article on your website
Besides this will save you from answering the same questions in the 
mailing list or chat room again and again instead of forcing 
development. Secondly you constantly update your release notes instead 
of having to do this big job before the next release and telling just a 
bit more, that there were tons of bugs fixed for a long time.
Of course I know your website and your information are public. But who 
really wants to dive deeply in a web page, register at a data kraken+, 
read lots of mailing list postings, forums, Bugzilla reports, Git 
commits etc., if he only wants to know _quickly_, if the project is 
still alive and what he can do for the project?
IMHO, the idea to use G**+ is not too good. I hope you haven't planned 
to move there. On the one hand it's good to regularly post news. But on 
the other hand do people, who like to support you, not necessarily like 
to register at G**+. The main entrance to GIMP information should be 
gimp.org, like one would expect from a non-commercial project called 
GIMP. For quick information rather use the wiki or a public forum at 
gimp.org, please. You can also put the mailing list there and people can 
get in direct contact, too. RSS is IMHO a good solution, gimpusers.com a 
good starting point, too. Maybe you could put a link to gimpusers.com on 
the front page. Also publish your news to news pages of computer and 
graphics designer sites (heise.com, Golem, Linux magazine, Deviant art, 
DOCMA etc.) and get in touch with their editors.

If you'd publish the progress and the successes in GIMP development at 
the gimp.org front page more often and outsiders see the project running 
in ordered circumstances, your problem with missing developers could be 
solved or at least alleviated.

Best regards,

grafxuser