The GIMP name controversy, explained
www.spacebar.news
GIMP was named after a character in Pulp Fiction. More than 20 years later, the name remains controversial and could be holding back the project.
  • cygnus@lemmy.ca
    44·
    8 months ago

    I think the UI and lack of non-destructive editing is holding it back more than the name, but IDK

    • corbin@infosec.pubOP
      17·
      8 months ago

      Yeah, the destructive editing and lack of a content aware fill is made me stop using it and go back to Photoshop. Krita also seems more usable these days in the FOSS world. The name is a lot easier to fix than those missing features, though.

    • Pixel@pawb.social
      15·
      8 months ago

      the UI for GIMP is so horrifically bad that I basically refuse to use it. Not like, on principal or anything, if it improves i’d be happy to give it a shop, but because every experience I’ve had with it has been pretty immediately negative, and finding solutions to problems I have seems more effort than its worth. I want gimp to be good, it’s a mature piece of software with a lot going for it, but it also feels like its design is kind of up its own ass, in a sense? It’s weird.

      • cygnus@lemmy.ca
        7·
        8 months ago

        I know what you mean — it’s like a 90s design paradigm that doesn’t take current conventions or best practices into account at all.

      • cygnus@lemmy.ca
        1·
        8 months ago

        Yes and it does help tremendously, but I much prefer Krita. What I’d really like is Affinity Photo on Linux, even if it isn’t FOSS…

  • KeriKitty (They(/It))@pawb.socialEnglish
    27·
    8 months ago

    This really isn’t the article it wishes it were :-\ It kinda reeks of “I’ve picked a thing I want to argue and now I’m going to make up an argument for it” down to admitting that good sources aren’t available (which makes me wonder whether there are no good sources at all or just no good sources that support the author’s argument).

    Bonus unpoints for the BDSM reference, just because I hate seeing that term held up as a negative or scary kind of thing and I feel like and/or choose to believe that’s the point in such an unprofessional article, rather than simply meaning “Look, it means sex stuff and that’s unprofessional.” So there. Nyeh! 😝

    Also, I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone who actually used or contributed to the GIMP (or intended to) complain about the name. I’m interested in seeing some actual data on that, if there is any. Personally I wouldn’t particularly mind a name change but I can’t say whether it’d get more attention and interest than it’d lose to irritating people accustomed to the current one.

    • Hazzia@discuss.tchncs.de
      5·
      8 months ago

      Literally the only times I’ve heard anybody say anything about it was basically when they first learn about it and giggle for a few minutes, then get on with their lives.

      I think the only way the name could be any sort of issue was if they were explicitly trying to be “family friendly,” which would imply that it’s intended for either christian mothers or advertisers (we all know how the children feel about sex jokes), which, since this is Lemmy and we’re talking about FOSS software, I’m sure I don’t have to explain why that’s a stupid idea.

  • mozz@mbin.grits.dev
    20·
    8 months ago

    Surely anyone who feels that it’s an urgent problem can make a fork which is fully identical in every way except for the logo and name and branding

    Since the amount of effort that would be required for that would be infinitesimal compared to what was already done to make the software

    And then produce all these good things which you say are being held back

    Or, wait, did you mean you wanted someone else to do that because you feel that it’s super important enough to insist that someone else should do it but not important enough to do yourself?

    • Stefen Auris@pawb.socialEnglish
      16·
      8 months ago

      As I recall someone made the same lame argument about the name being divisive, a fork was created called Glimpse and it fell on its face not long after it was formed. Things like this are a waste of energy, nobody cares that it’s called gimp.

      • mozz@mbin.grits.dev
        5·
        8 months ago

        Yeah, I mean glimpse seems fine; in general it seems completely fine if someone says “hey I think this is a problem for some percent of people who have weird priorities in life because they are corporate or weird thinking, I support the idea to solve it and make a friendly name for them”

        It’s just that if the response is “yeah that percent of people are not our problem, we just want to make this project and we did, thank you and good day”, then you need to be able to say “ok I will make the fork to fix it then” instead of writing up a big blog post demanding that they need to obey you on what your opinion of the priorities for their own project should be.

  • herrcaptain@lemmy.ca
    13·
    8 months ago

    It seems like the consensus of this thread is that the name isn’t holding it back. That was my thinking going into it, but the article makes some very valid points such as the name (being related to a sexual and sometimes derogatory word) making it a non-starter in some organizations.

    I have it installed on all our computers at work for basic image editing, but we’re a small business and never gave it much thought. I can absolutely see it being problematic in a school setting, however. More to the point, Adobe has ably demonstrated: get them hooked on your software in school and you’ll dominate the market. Imagine if kids had been learning GIMP instead of Photoshop all these years.

    Anyway, I’ve got no dog in this fight. Just pointing out what I see as a valid point in the article.

    Also, I like their original name possibility of IMP much better. The mascot could have been a cute little imp instead of … whatever it is now.

  • perishthethought@lemm.eeEnglish
    9·
    8 months ago

    I have no stake in this, but maybe just drop the ‘p’?

    GIM avoids the slur but is still very close to the current name.

  • Lvxferre@mander.xyz
    7·
    8 months ago

    The problem is considerably smaller if you consider that the software is used by a lot more people than English speakers (both L1 and L2+). For these, “gimp” is not some sex stuff, but rather that critter chewing on a brush. And even for L2+, the word “gimp” is often missing from our vocabs.

    As others said in this thread, the actual problem holding GIMP back is called user interface. It has improved, but it’s still awful.

  • thingsiplay@beehaw.org
    1·
    8 months ago

    That’s not THE problem with GIMP. Most people don’t know what the word means and even if so, it does not matter for most. This is a low issue, meaning it is an issue, but for a minority. The developers said they won’t change the name. It is their program and they decided to keep the name. If this is a problem for someone, then either fork it or don’t use it. I didn’t even know the meaning of the word gimp, which is not really related to GIMP, as GIMP is an acronym and not a word.

    GIMP = GNU Image Manipulation Program (originally General Image Manipulation Program)

    Anyone having a problem with the name, fine, I’m not discounting your opinion. But know that this is not an insult or anything like that. It’s an acronym for a name consisting of multiple words related to an image editor. I know it is a problem for some. I don’t think the name itself is holding the project back, that’s not a big problem. Posts like this make it a bigger deal than it is. People should consider forking if they really want to change something the way they like it, instead telling the devs for 20 years to change the name.