<div dir="ltr">On Thu, Oct 16, 2008 at 12:39 PM, Sangwoo Hong <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:sahngwoo@gmail.com">sahngwoo@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><div class="gmail_quote"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_quote">...<div>Well, I for one think that retention rates for potential new users out weights current user familiarity, not because I think new users are more important but because current users are familiar enough to have the option of using their software the way they are used to but potential new users don't have that luxury. And not having that luxury they become confused and more often then not choose to not join our community, and may even become hostile, which any way one looks at it would be an unfortunate thing for everyone involved.</div>
<br></div></div></blockquote><div><br>I couldn't agree more. A few years ago, I employed a guy by the name of Cory, who was a Computer Science guy by training. He'd never used any 3D software before working at ResPower. He tried Blender, and found the mouse selection thing annoying, but quickly got over it because it was a job requirement for him. Now, I have several tech support employees, most of whom are students at a local tech school learning 3D graphics and game design or CAD. On the 3D side, they're getting training in 3dsmax and/or Maya, and on the CAD side, they're getting training in AutoCAD. I've had a few of them pull up Blender after receiving training in the other packages, and their response is beyond annoyed, but not quite to the hostility point.<br>
<br>My point is this: all 3D apps allow customization, and Blender is very good at retaining that customization from one version to the next (others aren't, at all). Making the "standard" UI more in line with the UI's of other applications will not hurt existing users, and will definitely ease the transition for new users. In order for any open source application to thrive, three things are needed: 1) a strong, committed developer base. 2) a large, happy user base, and 3) a reputation of being friendly for new users. Blender's got the first 2 locked up, but on 3, it could really use some help. The changes proposed in this thread would get about 80% of the way there for **way** less than 20% of the work to do the next release.<br>
<br>-- Early<br></div></div></div>