Re: OT: Was: Gimp name-picking

[Archie Arevalo <linux.archie@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Friday 30 December 2011 04:51:30 Ronald F. Guilmette wrote:
> In message
> <253415241.1190746.1325133986615.JavaMail.root@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> 
> , tomdf@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> > I didn't have time to read this whole thread, so pardon me if it's
> >
> >already been
> >pointed out that the idea of changing the name of GIMP has come up more
> >than
> >once in the past.
> >
> >My vote:  leave it alone.  The recognition it has gained over the years
> >is invaluable.
> >Go to google and type in photoshop.  GIMP is listed fifth.  You can't
> >beat that.
> 
> I'm new here, so by all rights I shouldn't even really have a vote. 
> However, that notwithstanding, allow me to say:  Seconded!
> 
> Frankly, and meaning no offense to any party, I do think that this
> discussion is a bit absurd.  I mean it is as if someone proposed changing
> the name of the Empire State Building, or the name of Topeka, Kansas. 
> What's the point? Everybody already knows these things by their current
> names, and that kind of inertia is historically almost impossible to
> change by fiat.  In the case of Gimp, there are already at least a half a
> dozen books IN PRINT with that name in the title and that describe this
> great program, and probably hundreds of thousands of copies of said books
> already in circulation.
> 
> In televised news reports about "Myanmar", on either the BBC or on NBC
> Nightly news the announcer always says "...Myanmar formerly known as
> Burma..." because most people _still_ have no idea WTF "Myanmar" is.  (And
> if you google for "Myanmar", the first non-news hit that comes up is the
> Wikipedia entry for Burma.)
> 
> In short, names are very "sticky" things.
> 
> Separately and also, what difference does the name make anyway?  A rose by
> any other name...
> 
> My dear departed father, God rest his soul, imparted to me many small bits
> of wisdom as I was growing up, often by way of various aphorisms.  One of
> the many he repeated to me often was:
> 
>     "It isn't what you are called that matters.  It is what you can do WHEN
>      you are called that matters."
> 
> Gimp is a fine program, and it can do much when it is called upon to do so.
> Changing its name would neither add to nor subtract from that.
> 
> 
> Regards,
> rfg
> 
> 
> P.S.  I happen to like the name Gimp.  It's consistant with the
> (intentionally humorous) tradition of having the names of most or all
> GNUish (copylefted?) free software packages begin with the letter `g', and
> also be easily pro- nounced.  In this case, it all rolls easily off the
> tounge.  I was explaining to my neighbor just the other night that "Gimp
> is the GNU Image Processing package".
> 
> P.P.S.  Whoever wrote that dictionary entry saying that one definition of
> "gimp" is somebody who likes to dress up in leather from head to toe and be
> treated as a sex slave obviously just saw the movie "Pulp Fiction" one too
> many times.  I really do not think that this (postulated) definition of
> the word "gimp" is actually part of the common vernacular among the
> populace at large.  (But even if it was, that would make no difference to
> anything, since _our_ gimp is clearly a different kind of gimp
> altogether.)

Talk about not having a vote; well, you certainly said it well enough. You got 
my +1. I am also new to the list and found this discussion ludicrous albeit 
interesting. It may be true that (brand) names are the constructs of a good 
first impression and reputation.

The (branad) Apple isn't really what one would expect to set a culture of its 
own; but what if in the beginning Steve Jobs amused himself with a Banana? 
Would today be so different? "Hey, my presentation to the board today was 
totally uber. Thanks to my Banana iPad4!" ;)

GIMP as it stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program, and possesses the Open 
Source strength and might is destined to eat up Photoshop's marketshare. I 
have been using GIMP for as many years as I used Photoshop, and since then I 
didn't have the urge to go back.

Whatever GIMP might mean to others is not what really matters. There are 
"first-rate" names that didn't live up to what was expected of them. And I'm 
pretty sure most of us have better things to do than ponder on a befitting name 
for an already well-rooted GIMP.

Peace and much respect,
Archie
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