What the data can tell us

Collecting data is only half the story (and is actually the easy part). Making sense of that data is how a project like this truly demonstrates its value. Accordingly, we have a number data summaries available that, for the first time for any open source project, richly characterize how hundreds of users regularly use an end-user, open source application (specifically, GIMP).

In the spirit of open source software, anyone can comment on, edit, or create their own data summaries using our StatsJam software, a modified version of MediaWiki that enables anyone to participate in data analysis.

ingimp can provide answers to a number of questions, including:

• When it is used during the day, how frequently, and for how long
• How many images a user has open at once, and the number of layers, height, width and overall "character" of those images (where the "character" is provided by familiar image histograms)
• What commands people use and which commands are most frequently undone
• The operating system of users, the number of monitors attached, and the monitors' resolutions
• How often document windows lose focus to other GIMP windows

There are many more ways one can characterize ingimp's use. Go to ingimp's StatsJam to see more analyses, comment on analyses, or contribute your own.