[Gimp-user] Alt Key

[JC Dill]

Sven Neumann wrote:
> Hi,
>
> On Thu, 2007-12-20 at 11:17 -0800, JC Dill wrote:
>
>   
>> I'm a typical "potential Gimp user".  I tried to use it many years ago 
>> (when I first joined this list) but it couldn't meet my needs.  I've 
>> remained interested in Gimp, and stayed on the list to lurk and learn.  
>> I had hope that someday it would develop into a software product that I 
>> could use instead of Photoshop.  I provided this background so you would 
>> understand the context for my comment - not to say I'm in any way better 
>> or special.  If you want users like me to embrace and use Gimp you must 
>> consider our needs and comments when you make design decisions.  The 
>> fact that few outside the programmer community use Gimp shows that you 
>> are not making inroads into this other possible user base - it's clearly 
>> because you don't keep these other users in mind when you design the 
>> program and UI.
>>     
>
> I don't know where you get that impression from. 
I get that impression from reading the posts on this list.
> The ongoing redesign of
> the user interface is based on an extensive analysis of user feedback,
> workspace observations and analysis by user interface professionals. Our
> UI team is working on this for more than a year now, spending about
> twenty hours per week. And they are doing this in their free time. We,
> the developers, then pick up their suggestions and spend our free time
> implementing them. It would be nice if you could show some appreciation
> for this work. 
This is the first I heard of this work.  How do you expect someone to 
appreciate something that they haven't heard about?
> There are certainly many things that can be done even
> better. We are just beginning to incorporate the results of the
> usability evaluation that took place.

You admit you are "just beginning" to incorporate the results of the 
usability evaluation.

I can hardly be expected to know about something that hasn't been 
incorporated, or has just recently been incorporated but not widely 
announced.  As I said - I'm a "potential Gimp user".  I tried it several 
years ago, and I am subscribed to this list to stay abreast with the 
changes that are discussed on this list.  I don't currently have it 
installed.  Like millions of other potential Gimp users, I don't have 
time to install and test it every time you release a new version to see 
if it's "ready for prime time" yet.  Rather than try to convince me it's 
great (while you also admit you are "just beginning" to incorporate 
needed changes as a result of a usability evaluation), it would be nice 
if you would just admit that it still needs a lot of work, and that you 
will let the user (and potential user) community know when you have 
actually done the work to make it easier to use for non-programmers.

I hope that documentation is high on your list.  This is one of the 
weakest parts of most open source projects.  Something like a browser 
needs little documentation.  Something more complex like a mail reader 
needs more documentation.   It's no coincidence that Firefox has more 
users than Thunderbird - the documentation in Thunderbird is not very 
complete.  Gimp was (the last time I used it) very poorly documented.  
It is very important to document not just new features but also anytime 
you change how a feature works - such as this alt-key issue. 

jc