i cut out a pic of soemone i know and want to make the BG transparent so i can put the person on a new BG and save it like that...but i cant get the eraser to erase in transparent or get fill to fill the BG in transparent...nothing i seem to do makes it transparent....help plz

You need a transparent background layer, so what you can do is create a new, transparent layer, set it just above the current background layer (bottom layer), and then delete the non-transparent background layer. That's the easiest way to do it if what you're working with is already in a layer.

If it's not already in its own layer, then if you can select the inverse of whatever you want (select it, then choose invert selection), and then do "add alpha by selection" (I think it is), it should make everything selected transparent. I can check on this when I get home, because I don't have the GIMP in front of me right now

ok cool thanks. ill give it a try in a little bit here

i clicked add alpha selection now it wont let me click it again :| and i need to make alot more transparent and i cant select one big chunk :\

wahoo i got it