I’m not saying it has to be GNOME or Teams. Gnome is too limiting (I also don’t like it), while Teams is… whatever.

It’s just have to be great for advance user, while easy to user for first-time user.

Let me give you some example of bad UX, that fixed in other software:

• Gradient effect is not editable once you deselect it, you have to recreate it from scratch (you can edit it on Photoshop or Affinity Photo)
• There’s should be option to adjust font size with resizing text box instead of trying to input every single number (it’s possible on every major software)
• Drawing outside the layer does not retain its information (CSP retains the information)
• NDE effects cannot be drag and drop between layer for faster editing
• Rotating text cannot be edited (just saw the dev talk about it on Discord)

Almost all of the UX problems here are recognized by the dev, even actively discussed on how to fix them!

You can make advance application while still catering towards newbies! For example: Clip Studio Paint. They have multiple layout and UI for different use case and audience.

That’s still not as intuitive as actual shape tools on any other software.

If average casual user get confused to it, then it’s a bad UX.

That’s not actual shape tool.

Shape created by shape tools should be always editable. Using ellipse selection tool means the circle is rasterized.

Any social media technically host the same variation of people. It can be good or bad depends of your social circle and what kind of people you follow. Even fediverse has its own bubble of hostile people.

Not as comprehensive as Facebook Groups.

Facebook strength is having big community from Asia and Africa. While fediverse is mostly Westerner (and isolated Japanese). Unless people from those continents move here in huge wave, I don’t think Facebook will get replaced.

Mastodon is not valid recommendation for them, as these people doesn’t even use Twitter or even hates them.

…and Facebook Groups.

A lot of people simply don’t realize that a lot of traditional community, especially more niche are moving to Facebook. There’s no even Reddit alternative for them.

From fried chicken cooking, big tree photography, McDonalds toys collector, to local history archiver.

It’s harder to convince them here, unless there are Facebook Group alternative for fediverse.

To be fair, MS Paint (and other Paint-alike) software shape tools is barebone. No NDE and just direct to canvas/layer. (which perfectly fine for its scope)

Using select tools to make shape is not actual Shape tools.

As I stated previously, GIMP developers list Shape Tools in the roadmap.

Also, why not use those programs you listed instead, if GIMP isn’t getting the job done.

Hoping our tool to be more capable is just a normal thing. I want GIMP to be the best image editor, I want Krita to be the best painting and animation software, and so on.

Wrong.

“GIMP is a cross-platform image editor … Whether you are a graphic designer, photographer, illustrator, or scientist, GIMP provides you with sophisticated tools to get your job done.” - gimp.org

Shape tools is a universal basic tool for any software that handle some sort of image creation or addition.

Photo editing, general image editing, painting software, page layout design, vector design, PDF editor, all of them have one.

Photoshop, Microsoft Paint, Clip Studio Paint, Krita, Photopea, Pixelmator, Affinity Photo, … all of them have shape tools.

Heck, even Microsoft Excel and Word even have one.

EDIT: Shape tool is planned, not yet WIP. Source: GIMP Roadmaps