Very few things are actually spelled out anymore. For example a jpeg file (which is basically what a photograph is called when it's online) is pronounced jaypeg. If you said j and then p and then e and then g, people wouldn't know what you're talking about.

Computereze is a whole other language.

SecularMotion

(7,981 posts)

8. Battle Over ‘GIF’ Pronunciation Erupts

Reply to NewJeffCT (Reply #6)

Tue Oct 27, 2015, 09:43 AM

Oct 2015

It has been called “The Great Schism of the 21st Century” and “The Most Absurd Religious War in Geek History.”

The debate over how to pronounce GIF, which stands for Graphics Interchange Format, re-emerged this week when Steve Wilhite, the inventor of the widely used Web illustration, declared it should be pronounced “jif,” like the brand of peanut butter, rather than with a hard G sound.

He made the statement first in an interview with The New York Times, then in an acceptance speech at the annual Webby Awards on Tuesday, where he received a lifetime achievement award.

Mr. Wilhite incited a debate that generated 17,000 posts on Twitter, 50 news articles and plenty of tongue-in-cheek outrage.

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/23/battle-over-gif-pronunciation-erupts/

OriginalGeek

(12,132 posts)

10. I swear I heard him say

Reply to SecularMotion (Reply #8)

Tue Oct 27, 2015, 10:41 AM

Oct 2015

that, while he intended it to be Jiff - he acknowledges that gif with a hard g is also correct - or, if not correct, used so much that it might as well be.

I can't remember where I heard that but it was an interview - maybe on NPR or a computer blog....it was several years ago so I forget a lot of the interview...

personally, I say it with a hard g because I'm stubborn. the g stands for graphics which is a hard g so that's how I say it. Sorry inventor, I regect your j.

TexasBushwhacker

(20,219 posts)

9. I've heard it's supposed to be soft, like "jif"

Reply to NewJeffCT (Reply #6)

Tue Oct 27, 2015, 09:44 AM

Oct 2015

But I think most people pronounce it hard.

MowCowWhoHow III

(2,103 posts)

11. Graphics Interchange Format

Reply to leftyladyfrommo (Original post)

Tue Oct 27, 2015, 03:44 PM

Oct 2015

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GIF

Mostly used nowadays for hardwired short animations/videos such as this:

trueblue2007

(17,240 posts)

12. halloween gif

Reply to leftyladyfrommo (Original post)

Tue Oct 27, 2015, 04:02 PM

Oct 2015

leftyladyfrommo

(18,874 posts)

14. Wow

Reply to leftyladyfrommo (Original post)

Tue Oct 27, 2015, 05:17 PM

Oct 2015

Cool

blogslut

(38,018 posts)

15. It is a digital image format.

Reply to leftyladyfrommo (Original post)

Tue Oct 27, 2015, 07:26 PM

Oct 2015

GIFs are bitmap images. They are mapped out on a grid, using no more than 256 colors. GIFs are good for line-drawings and block-lettering and will allow for transparencies and animation. However, because the GIF color palette is limited, round-edged objects often appear rough. When a GIF is enlarged the grid pixels become evident.

Response to leftyladyfrommo (Original post)

Bucky This message was self-deleted by its author.

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