Re: [Gimp-user] gimp users matter

[Liam R E Quin <liam holoweb net>]

On Fri, 2014-01-03 at 22:14 +0000, Jeffery Small wrote:
> Liam R E Quin <liam holoweb net> writes:
[...]
> I will take you up on your offer to make a constructive GUI suggestion.
>
> I fully understand the arguments for the workflow change that was made to
> GIMP 2.8.  What I think was lost in the process was a recognition that there
> are two different primary workflows for two different groups of users.

I think there are probably many different kinds of user in many
different environments. The GIMP team chose to focus on one such group.

The file export spec isn't yet fully implemented, especially with
respect to directories (folders).

The "unsaved changes" dialogue replaces an earlier dialogue, saving as
jpeg can cause data loss" so there are no extra mouse clicks.

Technically, one of the difficulties with implementing an "old
behaviour" checkbox may be the way that file saving is done through
plugins, and the need to preserve ABI compatibility, but I'm not
certain.

It's true, I think, that the GIMP developers have a history of getting
more stubborn the more people complain :-) (that's why it's still called
GIMP even though that's generally a rude or derogatory term in much of
the English-speaking world).

But it's also true that they do this for fun, because they enjoy doing
it.

Now, working from "given the distinction between save/export that is
part of the GIMP (re)design, how do we make life a little easier for
people who are using GIMP to modify a JPEG or PNG image in
place" (something I do on a daily basis professionally by the way), I
think there's mileage in such a conversation. But it's not about
developers ignoring users, and that sort of framing almost guarantees a
failed discussion. "I hate you, now give me what I want" works with cats
because they are cute :-)

For my own part I *would* like to see GIMP take on the idea of a
project, with per-project resources and settings, and the ability to
have multiple projects active at the same time, each with its own window
or windows. But I'd also like to see gimp 2.10 (or whatever) released,
with more than 8-bit depth support.

The GIMP programmer team isn't very large, varying over the last few
years between about 1.5 full-time-equivalent at its lowest up to maybe 4
or 5 for brief periods, and those people have varied from students (with
or without shoes) to experienced GIMP developers wit not much time but
willing to work on fixing a bug or some other thing that interests them
or that they happened to need.

So GIMP can't be all things to all people.

Hope this helps a little.

Liam

-- 
Liam Quin - XML Activity Lead, W3C, http://www.w3.org/People/Quin/
Pictures from old books: http://fromoldbooks.org/
Ankh: irc.sorcery.net irc.gnome.org freenode/#xml