Sona si Latine loqueris.
Combining open/import and save/export has worked for some time, makes menus more compact and people got used to that combined function, but it also creates problems that have to be addressed.
Most design does. The previous email wasn't a design blueprint, it was a suggestion.
People will complain. But preserving editability of project files and avoiding data corruption on existing assets should be sine quibus non.
Gimp's lack of save function for single layer pixmaps is a hamfisted restriction, applying the fear of loosing data to situations where there is no data to loose. It's not well designed.
Inkscape can only edit svg files. The data loss just /importing/ a pdf is sufficient to design caution. Saving them just adds weight. The closest comparison to gimp is if Inkscape said saving as plain svg was an export, and only inkscape svg would be allowed in the save as.
These are not the same programs and one can't simplify those designs into the same strict pattern. And I admit going on about gimp's export design was a poor choice in venue, so I'm sorry for bunging up inkscape's devel list with it because all we have to do here is learn to be considerate to all our users when we design things.
Martin,