3 ms·

Nah, once it's out there people can do whatever they want with it, in the same way that once "xerox" became a common word, it wouldn't matter if Xerox Corp. cam

Nah, once it's out there people can do whatever they want with it, in the same way that once "xerox" became a common word, it wouldn't matter if Xerox Corp. came and said "hey btw it's pronounced as ZEROZ".

jwiz 5y ago
"I don't care what you say your name is, I seen how you spells it, yer Gee-suss."
- necovek 5y ago
  Except that GIF is not a personal name, and all those meme GIFs won't be mad if we call them "jifs" or "gifs". Names for things get lives of their own. Similarly, I don't think it merits looking at similar words for the "proper" pronounciation. If anything, it makes sense to look at expanded acronym (Graphics Interchange Format) which still points at the hard G (unless it's Jraphics Interchange Format :)). But hearing it from whoever coined the term is definitely similarly applicable. Still, I would reiterate, names for things that get wide adoption get their own lives, and we'd face an uphill battle to stop people from using them how they want. As long as we can understand each other, we are golden. And when we can't, it's not that hard to get back on the same page.
  - asciii 5y ago
    > If anything, it makes sense to look at expanded acronym (Graphics Interchange Format) which still points at the hard G (unless it's Jraphics Interchange Format :)). But hearing it from whoever coined the term is definitely similarly applicable. This. I first learned what the acronym came from and assumed the G was a hard G from Graphics. I just assume anyone who pronounces it with a hard G learned it on their own.
  - jwiz 5y ago
    > Except that GIF is not a personal name, and all those meme GIFs won't be mad if we call them "jifs" or "gifs". Well, I guess you can say it how you want, but it still seems disrespectful to insist that majority rules over the inventor's wishes.
ar_lan 5y ago
Can't you make this argument to just bully people you don't like? If you get a majority of people to say "zzleeper" is actually pronounced "crap bag", then majority rule wins, right, and you must acknowledge people when they call out "crap bag"? I just don't really see how majority rule should follow. I'm also curious to what extent we allow this to function. Is it just limited to names?

jwiz 5y ago

"I don't care what you say your name is, I seen how you spells it, yer Gee-suss."

necovek 5y ago
Except that GIF is not a personal name, and all those meme GIFs won't be mad if we call them "jifs" or "gifs". Names for things get lives of their own. Similarly, I don't think it merits looking at similar words for the "proper" pronounciation. If anything, it makes sense to look at expanded acronym (Graphics Interchange Format) which still points at the hard G (unless it's Jraphics Interchange Format :)). But hearing it from whoever coined the term is definitely similarly applicable. Still, I would reiterate, names for things that get wide adoption get their own lives, and we'd face an uphill battle to stop people from using them how they want. As long as we can understand each other, we are golden. And when we can't, it's not that hard to get back on the same page.
- asciii 5y ago
  > If anything, it makes sense to look at expanded acronym (Graphics Interchange Format) which still points at the hard G (unless it's Jraphics Interchange Format :)). But hearing it from whoever coined the term is definitely similarly applicable. This. I first learned what the acronym came from and assumed the G was a hard G from Graphics. I just assume anyone who pronounces it with a hard G learned it on their own.
- jwiz 5y ago
  > Except that GIF is not a personal name, and all those meme GIFs won't be mad if we call them "jifs" or "gifs". Well, I guess you can say it how you want, but it still seems disrespectful to insist that majority rules over the inventor's wishes.

ar_lan 5y ago

Can't you make this argument to just bully people you don't like? If you get a majority of people to say "zzleeper" is actually pronounced "crap bag", then majority rule wins, right, and you must acknowledge people when they call out "crap bag"? I just don't really see how majority rule should follow. I'm also curious to what extent we allow this to function. Is it just limited to names?