Instrumented GIMP To Identify Usability Flaws

Mike writes "New users of the GIMP often become frustrated at the application's unwieldy user interface. Now Prof. Michael Terry and a group of researchers at the University of Waterloo have created ingimp, a modified version of the GIMP that collects real-time usability data in order to help the GIMP developers find and fix its usability problems. Terry recently gave a lecture about ingimp and the data it collects. During each session, ingimp records events such as document creation, window manipulation, and tool use. A log of these events is sent to the ingimp server for analysis. The project hopes to answer questions such as 'What is the typical monitor resolution of a GIMP user?' and 'Is the GIMP used primarily for photo editing or drawing?'"

Re:GIMP will always be a gimp

[stubear]

You can put lipstick on a pig but in the end, you still have a pig.

Audio-visuals

[kabdib]

With cameras and microphones and other things:

----

"Our performance traces indicate large amounts of cussing when images are resized."

---

"Wow. During that file open, three hundred users gave the finger to the camera."

"And that one guy --"

"I don't want to talk about that guy. Wahwahwahwahwah I-can't-hear-yoooo. Don't remind me of what he did."

---

"Nine hundred instances of users hitting the computer with a hammer while cropping. At least, that what we think the accelerometers were saying."

--

"The rapid rise in temperature was probably caused by the users pouring gasoline on the system and lighting a match. We'll try to address that issue in the next release."

Re:GIMP will always be a gimp

[Aminion]

You can put lipstick on a pig but in the end, you still have a pig.

... and that pig will be the object of thousands of zoophiles' hot fantasies! Wait - what were we talking about...?

Re:The main usability flaw I find

[Blakey Rat]

Yes, yes, but imagine if those apps were named:

* Deafy
* Retard
* Dumbass
* Drooler

GIMP isn't a bad name because it doesn't describe what the program does, GIMP is a bad name because nobody wants to use gimped software.

Re:Fanboyism, user interfaces...

[suv4x4]

Yeah, isn't being blind to the problem a real bitch? Just like people like you who go, "Well, these stupid suckers are gullible enough to program this application for ten years and release all of their work for free! That makes them my-y-y BITCH!"

The problem here isn't that graphics designers are actively seeking to make fun of GIMP. It's that GIMP's developers and fans keep trying to push GIMP down our throat. It gets really old real fast, and we're forced to tell you straight in the face that GIMP sucks compared to the majority of commercial products out there. It sucks even compared to other open source editors (such as Krita).

Designer: "Shoot, that CS3 upgrade price is steep. But I'll pay it of course..."

GIMP fan: "Dude, you gotta switch to GIMP! It's F*R*E*E and [insert drivel about conspiracies, "evil", information wants to be free etc]"

Designer: "I've given GIMP several shots, it's really very far from a mature product, I'll pass on it."

GIMP fan: "Dude, it's F*R*E*E, no upgrade price, isn't this what you're complaining about".

Designer: "I complain since there's no cheaper alternative, GIMP isn't an alternative."

GIMP fan snaps and goes into an endless cycle:

GIMP fan: "No, dude, it's F*R*E*E, use it!"

GIMP fan: "No, dude, it's F*R*E*E, use it!"

GIMP fan: "No, dude, it's F*R*E*E, use it!" ...

Re:The main usability flaw I find

[chub_mackerel]

Professional Image Manipulation Program...

Oh, never mind.

Re:representative ?

[gkhan1]

Actually, it's "GNU's Not UNIX's Not UNIX Image Manipulation Program Tool Kit"