this post was submitted on 03 Jun 2024
98 points (100.0% liked)
Technology
37754 readers
331 users here now
A nice place to discuss rumors, happenings, innovations, and challenges in the technology sphere. We also welcome discussions on the intersections of technology and society. If it’s technological news or discussion of technology, it probably belongs here.
Remember the overriding ethos on Beehaw: Be(e) Nice. Each user you encounter here is a person, and should be treated with kindness (even if they’re wrong, or use a Linux distro you don’t like). Personal attacks will not be tolerated.
Subcommunities on Beehaw:
This community's icon was made by Aaron Schneider, under the CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
The name holds it back more than you know. No EP or AD wants to put "The GIMP" on their software list for a project. I have to have a conversation with someone ensuring we're good on all our licenses, and they ask, "What is this GIMP thing?" Answering it makes me sound like an unprofessional jackass. The company would rather just pay Adobe.
I don’t even want to tell people I use it because of its name. I would never bring it up in a work setting in this day and age when I look at Slack and see everyone list their pronouns.
The fact they haven’t clued into this is just wild to me. A shame it throws the work of so many people under the bus.
Also, to call it after the Pulp Fiction character is insane to me. Let alone that everyone on the team signed off on it. What were the second choices? Diarrhea? Herpes? Like dafuq.
It reeks of 12 year old boy saying “FART” to make his friends laugh
Or some edgelord trying to get people to watch 2 girls 1 cup back in the day. The scene in the movie was deeply disturbing. It actually made my partner at the time cry because she had been SAed before. Even for me, I did not enjoy and while the movie was amazing, the scene only took away from the film (I know the entire thing was hyper violent and disturbing).
I can’t even imagine referring to it let alone thinking back on it fondly. I always thought GIMP was an acronym. This news shook me because I’m actually on the contributor list.
Also, I would never admit its origin in this day and age. I’m still in shock learning this!
It should be renamed to GLIMPSE. Gnu/Linux Image Manipulation Program Special Edition
YES! 👏👏
I liked GLIDE, which was suggested a few years ago, though I can't remember what the acronym was now
This. No amount of excuses or lengthy explanations. It's childish and unprofessional.
Most of the world does not have English as a first language and thus the meaning of the word "gimp" is not widely known. Personally I do agree that the name is dumb, but it's a very English as a first language issue. My daughter is learning to do basic stuff with GIMP in school because it's free. The name is not an issue because nobody knows what a gimp is.
I'll use the cliche meme of "I was today years old when I learned where the name comes from". Just made the connection when I read this article, and I love Pulp Fiction.
But I too am not a native English speaker. Just always accepted the clunky acronym as the reason for the name.
I guess you can't quantify how much the name has helped it. How many people remember it because of its quirky name. Without knowing both numbers it's hard to know if it's a net positive or negative.
Meanwhile I still don't know what gimp is besides it being a graphics software.
A gimp is any of the following:
The last three I got from the internet.
Gimp is a slur for people with physical disabilities in the UK at least
Same in Canada and the US. If someone calls you a gimp, it’s a derogatory term that belittles your physical abilities.
It's kinda a slur in the US in the sense that people claim it's a slur, but I've never heard anyone actually use it that way.
Ok, now the name is actually weird.
"Eww, like the coarser thread which forms the outline of the design in some lacemaking techniques!? That is just a bit gross don't you think?"
No one. No one remembers it fondly because it’s got a “quirky” name. That’s not how software works. People use software because it’s useful. Not because it’s edgy or has memorable branding. I would rather a competent design tool period. The name is irrelevant. We aren't selling cookies or an energy drink. We are empowering people to get things done. You think your spoon with a hole in it is going to sell because you call it “Faggot”?