On Wed, 9 Jul 2003, Alan Horkan wrote: > I am all for giving users the information the want to know but when a user > first starts the GIMP I want to give them the infromation the _need_ to > know. That should include enough information to tell people where they > can find out more if they really want to know. > > Most users dont read manuals or documentation, especially not before they > run a program for the first time. > I cant be the only user that just accepts the defaults. Look at these > instructions for example > http://www.geosc.psu.edu/computing/static/FAQ/GIMP.html > "We recommend letting the setup program pick for you" > If i look longer I could probably find more examples, better yet ask the > user mailing list. Dave Neary wrote: > I guarantee you that that is not the case. Most GIMP users click > OK, Yes, OK, OK, OK, with a total time elapsed of less than a > minute. Most GIMP users don't even read the tile cache dialog, or > the screen calibration dialog. User can almost ignore the installer and I strongly believe most users do. There is not much point expecting them to read all that information. Sven Neumann wrote: > I would agree with you if we would force the user to calibrate her > monitor. But please note that you can go thru the full user > installation process by hitting the default button 5 times. Now I know. I needed a graphics program on machine with a crap monitor and the fact that I could blindly hit Return was what allowed me to get past the installer most of which was offscreen (it is even worse on windows the dialog is twice as wide for some reason). Users will take the Path of least resistance. Users will just click OK and ignore most of the installer. Some may take the time to read what the installer says and even fewer will know that they should choose something other than the default settings. > compare this to the installer of whatever windows software. It's just > silly to say that the GIMP user installation would be overly complex > or annoying. Just because windows software has annoying installers is not an excuse for the GIMP to do so. Is there any other piece of Gnu free software that has an installer like the GIMP? I recall some Gnome 1.4 programs did but they are rare, almost extinct in Gnome 2 and instead the users are provided with reasonable defaults and the option to change their settings later from a Preferences dialog. Please stop shooting me down just because you dont want to change things from the way they are, just because it is what you are used to does not make it the best or only answer. I am not even asking you to make these changes, I just want you to allow them to be made. Sincerely Alan Horkan http://advogato.org/person/AlanHorkan/
