Is is "G"IF ir "J"IF... you be the Judge

Seems like this is an ancient hot debate

Published on January 9, 2006 By Sembetu In WinCustomize Talk

The C|net / news.com hosted esoterica blog has decided to make a foray into one of the longest standing debates in the history of computing. Hold on to your hats people, and get ready to hotly contest whether it is GIF with a hard G or JIF with a soft G. You be the judge, you decide, the public awaits your professional opinion.

Comments (Page 1)

T-Man

on Jan 09, 2006

JIF is peanut butter!

Adamness

on Jan 09, 2006

I just never use a .gif cause I don't know which is the right way to say it.

Sleeping Dragon

on Jan 09, 2006

I jenerally don't jive a rip as to whether it's jif or gif. Jiven the right set of jeneralities, I use gifs for jenerally all my animations that I guxstasuppose with Gasc animastion shop. I vajuely remember some jreat joals that I said I would jet to that had to do with this jenre of Gifs. Yet, it is joing to be a real jas gust fijuring out if I jot the ability to jo anywhere at all, jiven the jreat gob it turns out to be. I feel like I've run the jauntlet every time I jive it a jo.

Sleeping Dragon

on Jan 09, 2006

...I'm just goshin ya, josh darnit.

NightTrainthedark

on Jan 09, 2006

This debate has been known to destroy cities. You should be ashamed Sembetu.

Sleeping Dragon

on Jan 09, 2006

It's gust a govial gib.

Sleeping Dragon

on Jan 09, 2006

ok, I'm done, I juess.

aimzzz

on Jan 09, 2006

Jo cool your gets!

starkers

on Jan 09, 2006

The debate, actually, is a guff.

Sembetu

on Jan 09, 2006

Whew, I think I should drink some water...

This debate has been known to destroy cities. You should be ashamed Sembetu.

Look, I didn't invent the wheel, I just showed it to the next ape... (cue 'Thus Spake Zarthustra')...

I mean, I think it should be well, and officially established. I kind of get tired of hearing people refer to them as jif's, or saying "dot jay pee jee" instead of jpeg when they see a .jpg, or saying "pee en jee" instead of ping.

I am reading a book now by Robert Bringhurst called 'The Elements of Typographical Style', and in it Mr Bringhurst states that once an abbreviation has entered common vernacular and is recognized in common speech, it ceases to be an abbreviation, and that goes for acronyms as well. Thus, the establishment of these naming conventions is relevant if only to provide structure to our common vernacular and to avoid confusion. For instance:

JIF is peanut butter

Quite valid if you ask me, and were there stricter adherance to the conept of formalizing rules regarding the adoption of acronyms and abbreviations into common language, there would be less words (English Language specifically), which are so easily obfuscated. Obviously, if I say I would like "jif" on my sandwich, nobody would think that I want a printed 256 color image with transparency capability added to my sandwich, but in truth, nobody should even have to have that bridge crossed for them.

Sembetu

TYCUS

on Jan 09, 2006

lol

Koasati

on Jan 09, 2006

I've always called it Gif (hard G). JPG, is J-Peg, BMP is bitmap, but for some reason, I've never called PNG, ping.... it's P-N-G, in my head. TGA, is T-G-A.... not t'ga, or targa

TYCUS

on Jan 09, 2006

for you..., wich one is the best? .gif or .jif? because in my opinion i prefer GIF...

imagine if right now we change the name to .jif!!!! it would be a little bit confused

Sembetu

on Jan 09, 2006

I've always called it Gif (hard G). JPG, is J-Peg, BMP is bitmap, but for some reason, I've never called PNG, ping.... it's P-N-G, in my head. TGA, is T-G-A.... not t'ga, or targa

Exactly my point and why we need to seek fromalization of the method for adopting such nomenclatures into our collective vernacular. In my head it, too, is P-N-G, but for the sake of vernacular purposes, it is easier to refer to it as a ping, or a targa, (my opinion), I would just suggest that adopting a formal structure would prevent confusion when referring to a filename versus a nomenclature.

aimzzz

on Jan 09, 2006

Might it be pronounced "h" in Spanish?

jejejeje

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