Hi Mathew On Thu, Nov 10, 2011 at 02:23:24PM +1100, Mathew Oakes wrote: > I hope this is a suitable place to post this. > > 2.8 is shaping up as a great release! > > Opening the 2.7.3 distribution crystallised in my mind, the core problem > inhibiting greater acceptance of the GIMP. > > The quasi-bestial bondage image on the loading screen is unnecessarily > disturbing. As a first impression for all new users, the loading screen > needs to highlight features and benefits of the program and help explain to > the user what's in it for them. > > The whole gimp/bondage pun might have been worth a chuckle years ago, but > unfortunately it's not a useful idea for promoting graphic software. The > pun distracts away from the important message of what the software is and > what it does -- and confuses it with undesirable perverse behaviour. The > confused 'brand' becomes is an unnecessary barrier for many people to use > the software. The developer version's splash screen is about the cage tool. It has nothing to do with GIMP's name. Learn about the tool for why it's called 'cage'. As Liam has also pointed out, this is a developer version splash created by a developer, as a placeholder. Developer version splashes usually are not shipped in stable versions and are not seen by a general user. > From the perspective of new/naive users: > > - Is it NSFW? What about a school? > - Why should I treat this software seriously? Stable GIMP which is installed by the majority of its userbase has never shipped with a NSFW splash. > To really get the recognition and use that GIMP deserves, it needs to > evolve its identity. I think this habit of relating GIMP's name to the north american slang 'gimp' time and again has run its due course and we're quite tired of it. Most of GIMP developers and users are outside the USA and aren't familiar with the slang meaning or even the word except the app itself for that matter. If you do a search for the word gimp in any search engine, you'll see GIMP the program. People involved in GIMP development are diverse and come from varied backgrounds (in every way you can imagine). We are easily the target of bad mouthing (race, country, religion, orientation, etc.). But we all get along as good friends. We're not derogatory. We don't have ill intentions. We're creating something good as free software after all. It's not that anyone is stuck about a name. It's not a simple change to rename GIMP. It's a _huge_ undertaking. There are also many thousands of third-party scripts, plug-ins, etc. which depend on the name being there. No developer in his/her right mind gives it any more thought after considering the volume of changes necessary. There are issues with higher priority which need to get done.. features that users need right away. GIMP is about 15 years old. It's got the recognition it deserves. Mukund _______________________________________________ gimp-developer-list mailing list gimp-developer-list@xxxxxxxxx http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/gimp-developer-list
