Indeed. Filter effects in Inkscape are its Achilles' heel, and although the performance (apparently) improves with each new version it's something that seems to be a continuing problem compared to commercial packages. General workarounds include using layers and hiding filters that you don't need displayed all the time, reduce geometry and nodes, and simply make sure enough RAM is available for the program.

I do know for a fact there have been several GSoC projects addressing this very issue. It's a pity that it's so much work in improving its performance, but if it was easy it'd been done ages ago. This is why commercial software sometimes wins out - paying people to work on the boring, tedious but necessary stuff results in fixing this issue, but this isn't an option for most open source so you take what you can get.

There have already been several posts about Blender's UI, and the topic of its UI always seems to come up every time a story about Blender appears.

The problem seems to be an assumption about modern software being easy enough to pick up and use without requiring a manual or even a basic tutorial. This might suffice for some software, maybe most, but for a complex 3D development package with thousands of different features and functions, there's a limit as to how far that "dive-in-and-use" approach works. I'm not suggesting there aren't ways the UI could be improved further; of course there are. It's just that sometimes you need to read and study in order to learn, and you can't just click buttons and expect to pick things up from a cursory approach.

3D modelling and development is hard. There are a ton of different things that are expected in modern 3D packages and if Blender is to support them, then that means more buttons, more options, and more complexity. Some of it can be redesigned to provide novice users a less intimidating experience, but it's the nature of the beast, and it's unfair to harp on about it when it's been shown that you CAN use Blender to do good work.

Humorous fact (as the OP) - despite being a long-time Slashdot reader I don't feel any attraction to accounts. This is a brand new account as I like to start fresh from time to time.

That comment (basically an anti-Microsoft comment) was my first comment with this new account - and I'm ALREADY positive karma and being offered the option to "Disable Advertising - as our way of thanking you for your positive contributions to Slashdot".

Doesn't take much does it. :)

Everyone's been telling me (not here, just everyone else on the web) that Microsoft is better now - that they aren't quite the assholes they were in the 90's/early 2000's. There we were thinking the worst was behind them with their support for open standards on the web and not trying to kill kittens in their sleep. That if anyone still hated them in 2013 that they were being difficult, stubborn, misguided and childish.

Think I'll stay away from Neowin for a while.