Re: [Inkscape-user] Questionnaire on Inkscape and Gimp
A research under a scientific aspect has to set up a hypothesis and verify it. I don't know if the answer to my hypothesis will be yes or no, so one shouldn't derive that I am for or against OS. To let you know, I am a great supporter of OS and so it came to my mind as a professional user of graphics software why programs like Inkscape and Gimp are not widely in use compared to e.g. Photoshop or Illustrator! So how would it sound to you if the hypothesis claims: "Inkscape is mature for a professional workflow, so it isn't widespread and this is because it's free"! Anyway, I am glad to get feedback!!! It is hard to stay neutral on that matter, and I'll try to rephrase my question in the survey.
My opinion is that this is because the software isn't mature, what doesn't mean that I am against Open Source.
----- Original Message ----- From: Gary <pajer@...1943...> To: "Inkscape User Community" inkscape-user@lists.sourceforge.net Subject: Re: [Inkscape-user] Questionnaire on Inkscape and Gimp Date: Tue, 12 Dec 2006 16:27:43 -0500
Bryce Harrington wrote:
On Tue, Dec 12, 2006 at 09:59:16PM +0100, Flachland Tapir wrote:
Hi volks, Where else should I go if not here? To find out about the professionalism of Inkscape and Gimp I have started a research project called "OpenSource graphics software in the creative media sector". It would make me happy if you spend a few moments to fill in the questionnaire. You find all you need to know at:
On your webpage you state the purpose of this survey is to prove: "I claim that the application in a professional workflow isn't mature compared to proprietary software used in the CMS. The effort for maintaining OSGS exceeds the costs & benefits you could save when using free software."
Since your purpose is anti-Open Source, there seems little reason to help you.
That's not how I read it. He might be supportive of OS software, and is trying to find out why its not more pervasive. In any event, wouldn't you(we) want to know where and why our OS initiatives fall short? I admit I'd feel more comfortable if I had some assurance that he's making at least an attempt at being neutral.
Bryce
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A research under a scientific aspect has to set up a hypothesis and verify it.
In fact, strictly speaking, you ought to try to *disprove* the hypothesis. Until you disprove it, it might be true - or it might not.
Phil (who's spent 25 years working in academic physics)
If you rephrase part of the survey doesn't that mean you need to chuck all responses and start again? I don't mean to be unhelpful, but without correct methodology you may as well not conduct the research.
On 13/12/06, Phil Hendry <philip.hendry@...2055...> wrote:
A research under a scientific aspect has to set up a hypothesis and verify it.
In fact, strictly speaking, you ought to try to *disprove* the hypothesis. Until you disprove it, it might be true - or it might not.
Phil (who's spent 25 years working in academic physics)
Take Surveys. Earn Cash. Influence the Future of IT Join SourceForge.net's Techsay panel and you'll get the chance to share your opinions on IT & business topics through brief surveys - and earn cash http://www.techsay.com/default.php?page=join.php&p=sourceforge&CID=D... _______________________________________________ Inkscape-user mailing list Inkscape-user@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/inkscape-user
On Tue, Dec 12, 2006 at 11:23:39PM +0100, Flachland Tapir wrote:
A research under a scientific aspect has to set up a hypothesis and verify it. I don't know if the answer to my hypothesis will be yes or no, so one shouldn't derive that I am for or against OS. To let you know, I am a great supporter of OS and so it came to my mind as a professional user of graphics software why programs like Inkscape and Gimp are not widely in use compared to e.g. Photoshop or Illustrator! So how would it sound to you if the hypothesis claims: "Inkscape is mature for a professional workflow, so it isn't widespread and this is because it's free"! Anyway, I am glad to get feedback!!! It is hard to stay neutral on that matter, and I'll try to rephrase my question in the survey.
My opinion is that this is because the software isn't mature, what doesn't mean that I am against Open Source.
See, but "maturity" is such a generic label that regardless of the results, your survey is going to be useless, except to push a particular point of view. "Maturity" is a subjective measure, and is going to be driven by your sample population. A scientific method would construct an experiment that someone else could re-run and get the same results. Yet with this survey, if if you ask 100 Inkscape users if Inkscape is ready for professional use, and I ask 100 Adobe users, you're going to we'll probably see completely opposite results.
If you really want to measure maturity, then look for some quantitative thing you can latch onto - rate of bug fixing, or time required to create a particular drawing by equally skilled artists, or number of crashes per day, or something.
If your real underlying question here is "Why is Open Source not more used professionally," then a better questionare would directly ask this. "Are you using XYZ software in a professional context?" "If not, please rank the following reasons from 1 to 10". ...
If I were to guess why Inkscape is not more used professionally my own guess would be:
* Proprietary software is better marketed * Key features are missing * Doesn't interoperate with necessary applications * Doesn't adhere to xyz standard
Your survey would actually be useful if it were geared to answer one or more of these questions. Which particular lacked features are forcing people to non-open software? Which file formats are most needed? If they've not heard about Inkscape, what approaches would be best to get word out to them?
Also, it is very surprising that you do not include Scribus in your survey - of the three graphics apps, Scribus is the most professionally oriented, and is intended to be used alongside gimp and inkscape for professional work.
Bryce
On Tue, 12 Dec 2006 23:23:39 +0100, "Flachland Tapir" <flachlandtapir@...2061...9...> wrote:
A research under a scientific aspect has to set up a hypothesis and verify it.
Given your hypothesis:
I claim that the application in a professional workflow isn't mature compared to proprietary software used in the CMS. The effort for maintaining OSGS exceeds the costs & benefits you could save when using free software.
...then there are two fundamental problems with the survey:
1) It makes no attempt to address objective "costs & benefits"; many of the questions are entirely subjective and difficult to quantify ("How do you feel about X?"). The "effort for maintaining" OSGS and proprietary equivalents must be quantified in some way.
2) The hypothesis concerns the relative maturity of "OSGS" versus proprietary equivalents, yet the survey barely treats the proprietary software at all. The same questions ought to be asked about each (of the same people!) so that you have a basis for comparison.
-mental
participants (5)
-
Bryce Harrington -
Flachland Tapir -
MenTaLguY -
Paul Bolger -
Phil Hendry