SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
(Emphasis in original. --Ed.)
GIMP is a longstanding project, first announced in November 1995. The name was originally an acronym for General Image Manipulation Program but this was changed to GNU Image Manipulation Program.
The new fork springs from a discussion on Gitlab, where the source code is hosted. The discussion has been hidden but is available on web archives here. A topic titled "Consider renaming GIMP to a less offensive name," opened by developer Christopher Davis, stated:
I'd like to propose renaming GIMP, due to the baggage behind the name. The most modern and often used version of the word "gimp" is an ableist insult. This is also the colloquial usage of the word. In addition to the pain of the definition, there's also the marketability issue. Acronyms are difficult to remember, and they end up pronounced instead of read as their parts. "GIMP" does not give a hint towards the function of the app, and it's hard to market something that's either used as an insult or a sex reference.
[...] The subject of the suitability of the name is not new, and is enshrined in the official FAQ:
"I don't like the name GIMP. Will you change it?"
With all due respect, no. We've been using the name GIMP for more than 20 years and it's widely known ... on top of that, we feel that in the long run, sterilization of language will do more harm than good. ... Finally, if you still have strong feelings about the name "GIMP", you should feel free to promote the use of the long form GNU Image Manipulation Program or maintain your own releases of the software under a different name.
The Glimpse project is therefore entirely within the spirit of open source. "We believe free software should be accessible to everyone, and in this case a re-brand is both a desirable and very straightforward fix that could attract a whole new generation of users and contributors," says the About page.
Is now the time to accept that, to get GIMP into the mainstream, it needs a rename?
(Score: 2) by stretch611 on Saturday August 31 2019, @08:20PM
All this politically correct bs is troubling.
I've used GIMP... and while Photoshop is significantly more popular, it is far from unheard of. I know many people in the IT industry that have heard of or used GIMP. None of them giggle at the name or bring up any connections to the slang meaning; and the slang meaning is well know as well, they just do not associate the two together. Even when I introduce people to GIMP that have never heard of the project, they rarely joke or smile at the name... and most are appreciative for learning about it.
As an IT professional, and someone that has used GIMP, I can honestly say that I do not associate the two wit each other, and when I hear the word GIMP, instinctively I think of the program, not the derogatory term.
And isn't that a win-win situation? For people to hear the word GIMP and think of the program first and foremost? It seems to me that the name should stand and be promoted heavily as an increase in the usage of GIMP would most likely lead to a lack of people who use the term for its derogatory meaning.
stupid SJWs...
Now with 5 covid vaccine shots/boosters altering my DNA :P