4 ms·

GIMP is great, I use it all the time. I wish they would change their name so it could have more mainstream acceptance.

by zulban 4y ago

HKH2 4y ago
This gets dismissed every time it's brought up, but I agree with you that it probably has stunted its growth considerably.
- mixmastamyk 4y ago
  Would you say it gives it a limp?
kasabali 4y ago
This has been tried: https://www.theregister.com/2019/08/28/gimp_open_source_image_editor_forked_to_fix_problematic_name/ https://www.theregister.com/2019/08/28/gimp_open_source_imag...
RadiozRadioz 4y ago
I have never, and do not know anybody who has, avoided good software for something as stupidly trivial as its name. If the name were one of the more hardcore expletives I'd maybe think twice. As it stands, this one is fairly vanilla as far as problematic words go, is clearly typeset as an acronym, and is principally a reference to Pulp Fiction, therefore being at least one referential layer away from the original term. I would like to see statistics on who actually cares about this.
- troad 4y ago
  When I’m sitting down and teaching my kid how to edit a photo or sketch a drawing, do you honestly see me sitting them down to a GIMP session? And when I’m not around, and they want to pull up their favourite drawing program, do you see them typing “gimp” into the search bar? Which - as of Windows 11 - now helpfully loads internet results and related ads? Or do I just start them on Krita, a much more powerful and user friendly open source program, with significantly less risk of accidentally encountering the GIMP’s namesakes? Or me getting a call from my kid’s school to ask why my kid is talking about gimps?
  - RadiozRadioz 4y ago
    No, you probably wouldn't teach your kid to use GIMP as a first image editor, just like you wouldn't teach them LaTeX as their first way to produce documents. I agree, Krita is better for new users. Google "gimp" for me. What are the top results? What's highlighted in the sidebar? I don't see an issue. You have to scroll down a ways before you get to Urban Dictionary, I can't imagine a kid doing that instead of clicking the first result with the cute dog picture. The school thing is the first actual problem. But then, it's an easy thing to clarify. I'm of the opinion that it's a good thing that their first experience of that word is an image editor, it detracts from the offensive meaning. The hope being that the offensive meaning will be relegated to an obscure footnote, the primary definition of the word to them being GIMP. We shouldn't give offensive words more power, we should diminish their power by using them in non-offensive contexts. See the adaptation of the word "cunt" in Australia.
    - troad 4y ago
      If I google the word 'gimp' in a private browsing tab (so not logged in, no cookies, safe search on), I get these three links - with Google showing the article images! - in a news box after the third result: https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1698408/gimp-essex-slams-bondage-rival https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1698408/gimp-essex-slams-b... - https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/gimp-man-essex-somerset-community-1975853?ico=in-line_link https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/gimp-man-essex-somerset-... - https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/gimp-man-essex-says-somerset-28520824 https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/gimp-man-essex-says-so... Then there's the Urban Dictionary, as you mention. So yes, there's an issue. > See the adaptation of the word "cunt" in Australia. I'm Australian, so I understand pretty well how we use the word cunt. Contrary to popular perceptions, if you called someone a cunt at a work meeting, you'd probably be fired on the spot. Similarly, it would be... a career limiting move to pitch your supervisors on the idea of switching key business operations to a system called 'Cunt'. Gimp is just not a good name. Context matters. I appreciate a bit of colour and character as much as the next guy, but there's a time and a place, and 'the name of a major piece of free software' just ain't it.
      - 4y ago
Adj_and_Styles 4y ago
Non English speakers should have no such issue with the name and adoption in that population should be higher than English speakers. But is it? If similar usage, the problem is somewhere else. From experience, the issues raised where total lack of CMYK, limited to 8 bit per channel,lack of even basic non destructive editing, crude paint engine, no healing tool, etc. Some have been solved partially or totally over the years, but too late for some users.

GIMP is great, I use it all the time. I wish they would change their name so it could have more mainstream acceptance.

by zulban 4y ago

GIMP is great, I use it all the time. I wish they would change their name so it could have more mainstream acceptance.

HKH2 4y ago

This gets dismissed every time it's brought up, but I agree with you that it probably has stunted its growth considerably.

mixmastamyk 4y ago
Would you say it gives it a limp?

kasabali 4y ago

This has been tried: https://www.theregister.com/2019/08/28/gimp_open_source_image_editor_forked_to_fix_problematic_name/ https://www.theregister.com/2019/08/28/gimp_open_source_imag...

RadiozRadioz 4y ago

I have never, and do not know anybody who has, avoided good software for something as stupidly trivial as its name. If the name were one of the more hardcore expletives I'd maybe think twice. As it stands, this one is fairly vanilla as far as problematic words go, is clearly typeset as an acronym, and is principally a reference to Pulp Fiction, therefore being at least one referential layer away from the original term. I would like to see statistics on who actually cares about this.

troad 4y ago
When I’m sitting down and teaching my kid how to edit a photo or sketch a drawing, do you honestly see me sitting them down to a GIMP session? And when I’m not around, and they want to pull up their favourite drawing program, do you see them typing “gimp” into the search bar? Which - as of Windows 11 - now helpfully loads internet results and related ads? Or do I just start them on Krita, a much more powerful and user friendly open source program, with significantly less risk of accidentally encountering the GIMP’s namesakes? Or me getting a call from my kid’s school to ask why my kid is talking about gimps?
- RadiozRadioz 4y ago
  No, you probably wouldn't teach your kid to use GIMP as a first image editor, just like you wouldn't teach them LaTeX as their first way to produce documents. I agree, Krita is better for new users. Google "gimp" for me. What are the top results? What's highlighted in the sidebar? I don't see an issue. You have to scroll down a ways before you get to Urban Dictionary, I can't imagine a kid doing that instead of clicking the first result with the cute dog picture. The school thing is the first actual problem. But then, it's an easy thing to clarify. I'm of the opinion that it's a good thing that their first experience of that word is an image editor, it detracts from the offensive meaning. The hope being that the offensive meaning will be relegated to an obscure footnote, the primary definition of the word to them being GIMP. We shouldn't give offensive words more power, we should diminish their power by using them in non-offensive contexts. See the adaptation of the word "cunt" in Australia.
  - troad 4y ago
    If I google the word 'gimp' in a private browsing tab (so not logged in, no cookies, safe search on), I get these three links - with Google showing the article images! - in a news box after the third result: https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1698408/gimp-essex-slams-bondage-rival https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1698408/gimp-essex-slams-b... - https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/gimp-man-essex-somerset-community-1975853?ico=in-line_link https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/gimp-man-essex-somerset-... - https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/gimp-man-essex-says-somerset-28520824 https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/gimp-man-essex-says-so... Then there's the Urban Dictionary, as you mention. So yes, there's an issue. > See the adaptation of the word "cunt" in Australia. I'm Australian, so I understand pretty well how we use the word cunt. Contrary to popular perceptions, if you called someone a cunt at a work meeting, you'd probably be fired on the spot. Similarly, it would be... a career limiting move to pitch your supervisors on the idea of switching key business operations to a system called 'Cunt'. Gimp is just not a good name. Context matters. I appreciate a bit of colour and character as much as the next guy, but there's a time and a place, and 'the name of a major piece of free software' just ain't it.
    - 4y ago

Adj_and_Styles 4y ago

Non English speakers should have no such issue with the name and adoption in that population should be higher than English speakers. But is it? If similar usage, the problem is somewhere else. From experience, the issues raised where total lack of CMYK, limited to 8 bit per channel,lack of even basic non destructive editing, crude paint engine, no healing tool, etc. Some have been solved partially or totally over the years, but too late for some users.