Hi all,
I'd like to volunteer to help with updating the Gimp website; I was told by Sven on the usability forum to apply to this mailing list.

First allow me to introduce myself: I'm Michael, a graphic designer from Israel. Professionaly I mainly do 3D modeling and interface design (mostly icon work but also consulting on usability issues), and I'm proficient in HTML and CSS, although I'm not very up to date on XHTML and such. My interest in the Gimp comes from a general interest in the free software movement, and the fact that there are a lot of people out there in need of a good graphic app who are not aware of this alternative to using pirated copies of Photoshop.

So, what can I do? First of all I'd like to suggest a small website makeover. Gimp is a graphic tool and the website sould reflect it by having a bit more visual punch to it.
here's the quick makeover I did - just a suggestion, based on the "clearlooks" gnome theme color pallette: http://www.geocities.com/preacher_mg/gimpweb.html

What else? First I'd like to see this website used as a hub for the Gimp community. I'd like to add real resources like scripts, brushes, gradients, and patterns (as opposed to images of GIMP resources that already come with the app, as it is now). Also tutorials couldn't hurt. I realize it sounds like a lot of work but there are many existing resources on the gimp user group website at gug.sunsite.dk. It's a shame they are not easiily accessible from this site! Perhaps they could also be made available on this site, or more links made to the various resources there. And speaking of GUG, since there's already a discussion forum there, it can't hurt to add a link to it from the menu. I'd also like to add a link to the plugin registry into the website, or somehow better integrate it into the website, so that browsing and downloading plugins would be as easy as downloading extensions for Firefox from www.mozilla.org.

Something else I'd like to help develop are constant development updates and possibly development binaries, to keep people interested and informed about what's being done. In this I'd like to emulate what the people at www.inkscape.org are doing. But this will require your help! I actually compiled 2.3.3 for Windows and I'm other sure people who have trouble with compiling will be happy to test it.

My hidden agenda in all this is to use this website to draw more people into helping develop the Gimp. Even if it's just help with the user manual (Some of it, I'm sorry to say, is sorely in need of a re-write by a real english speaker) or help with compiling binaries or packaging. I think a permanent call for help banner on the website, with specific duties outlined, can get people to chip in.

No, I made it with Inkscape and only smudged things here and there later. oh, and added the brush. But on general I like to keep things vector based, this wat they can always be scaled up and down.

From: Carol Spears
To: Preacher Public
CC: GIMPDev
Subject: Re: [Gimp-developer] Gimp Website Date: Sat, 24 Sep 2005 11:49:11 -0700

On Sat, Sep 24, 2005 at 01:29:21PM -0400, Preacher Public wrote:

So, what can I do?
First of all I'd like to suggest a small website makeover. Gimp is a graphic tool and the website sould reflect it by having a bit more

visual

punch to it.
here's the quick makeover I did - just a suggestion, based on the "clearlooks" gnome theme color pallette: http://www.geocities.com/preacher_mg/gimpweb.html

did you make that wilber with gimp?

carol