Like a king with a royal proclamation, the inventor of the GIF file format has put an end to all debate over how his invention’s name shall be pronounced. Or so he wishes. ‘It is a soft “G,” pronounced “jif.” End of story,’ said Steve Wilhite. The man who gave the world the quintessential meme-making file type hath spoken. But was there really that much question? In a word: yes. So says he: Steven Wilhite, inventor of the GIF, accepts a Webby Lifetime Achievement award May 21. He says his invention is pronounced with a soft 'g.' Once just a part of the jargon of hardcore computer enthusiasts, how to properly say GIF has been debated since it was invented in 1987 as a means of neatly compressing images. It has since become synonymous, with the help of a famous dancing baby, with brief and catchy animated images. You need only visit a Tumblr page or peruse any Buzzfeed article to see how ubiquitous the once nerdy name has become. And you need only run a Google search for ‘How to pronounce’ to see how active the pronunciation war remains. Before you’ve even hit the ‘G,’ the engine has already guessed what you were thinking. The internet is rampant with websites, blogs, and articles dedicated to the question of how to pronounce the shortened form of Graphics Interchange Format. Choosy: An image by the heavy GIF users at Buzzfeed concurs, likeing the pronunciation to that of the ubiquitous peanut butter . A Tumblr dedicated to the question exists, though it comes to no solid conclusion. There is also the GIF Pronunciation Page, which takes the side of Mr. Wilhite, who purportedly uses the mnemonic device ‘Choosy developers choose GIF,’ to remind everyone it’s a soft ‘G’ just like the peanut butter. There's also a Youtube video on the subject. Even the president of the United States has taken a stand. When the White House debuted its own Tumblr page in April, it posted a graph of what to expect on its new microblog. Among the offerings was ‘Animated GIFs (Hard “G”)’. And that is, if you were wondering, the other way to speak the term. A hard ‘G’ like in ‘gift.’ Partisanship: Barack Obama, disagrees. The official White House Tumblr promises 'Animated GIFs (HARD "G")' But don’t mention that to Wilhite. And don’t try to say both are correct, either. ‘The Oxford English Dictionary accepts both pronunciations,’ Mr. Wilhite said in an email interview with the New York Times. ‘They are wrong.’ Wilhite’s invention has won him much praise over the last 25 years and even more in the last five or so as meme culture has embraced the file as a means of quickly and easily moving messages motivated by everything from comedy to politics across the Web. Wilhite was even honored Tuesday with a Lifetime Achievement Webb Award in recognition of inventing the file format. In the words of the official Webby website: . ‘The proliferation of the GIF within today's meme-powered, Tumblr-driven pop culture, proves it a lasting format still among the most celebrated on the Web (despite the hotly contested controversy over its correct pronunciation). With 2012 being the 25th anniversary of the GIF we think the 17th Annual Webby Awards is a most fitting event to honor and celebrate Steve Wilhite and this historical achievement.’ Brave: But even in the face of tyranny and elitism, the GIF's inventor stands firm. 'The Oxford English Dictionary accepts both pronunciations' he said. ¿They are wrong.¿ .
Steven Wilhite accepted a Life Time Achievement Webby Award on May 21 for giving the gift of the GIF to the world .
Like a king with a royal proclamation, the inventor of the GIF file format has put an end to all debate over how his invention’s name shall be pronounced. Or so he wishes. ‘It is a soft “G,” pronounced “jif.” End of story,’ said Steve Wilhite. The man who gave the world the quintessential meme-making file type hath spoken. But was there really that much question? In a word: yes. So says he: Steven Wilhite, inventor of the GIF, accepts a Webby Lifetime Achievement award May 21. He says his invention is pronounced with a soft 'g.' Once just a part of the jargon of hardcore computer enthusiasts, how to properly say GIF has been debated since it was invented in 1987 as a means of neatly compressing images. It has since become synonymous, with the help of a famous dancing baby, with brief and catchy animated images. You need only visit a Tumblr page or peruse any Buzzfeed article to see how ubiquitous the once nerdy name has become. And you need only run a Google search for ‘How to pronounce’ to see how active the pronunciation war remains. Before you’ve even hit the ‘G,’ the engine has already guessed what you were thinking. The internet is rampant with websites, blogs, and articles dedicated to the question of how to pronounce the shortened form of Graphics Interchange Format. Choosy: An image by the heavy GIF users at Buzzfeed concurs, likeing the pronunciation to that of the ubiquitous peanut butter . A Tumblr dedicated to the question exists, though it comes to no solid conclusion. There is also the GIF Pronunciation Page, which takes the side of Mr. Wilhite, who purportedly uses the mnemonic device ‘Choosy developers choose GIF,’ to remind everyone it’s a soft ‘G’ just like the peanut butter. There's also a Youtube video on the subject. Even the president of the United States has taken a stand. When the White House debuted its own Tumblr page in April, it posted a graph of what to expect on its new microblog. Among the offerings was ‘Animated GIFs (Hard “G”)’. And that is, if you were wondering, the other way to speak the term. A hard ‘G’ like in ‘gift.’ Partisanship: Barack Obama, disagrees. The official White House Tumblr promises 'Animated GIFs (HARD "G")' But don’t mention that to Wilhite. And don’t try to say both are correct, either. ‘The Oxford English Dictionary accepts both pronunciations,’ Mr. Wilhite said in an email interview with the New York Times. ‘They are wrong.’ Wilhite’s invention has won him much praise over the last 25 years and even more in the last five or so as meme culture has embraced the file as a means of quickly and easily moving messages motivated by everything from comedy to politics across the Web. Wilhite was even honored Tuesday with a Lifetime Achievement Webb Award in recognition of inventing the file format. In the words of the official Webby website: . ‘The proliferation of the GIF within today's meme-powered, Tumblr-driven pop culture, proves it a lasting format still among the most celebrated on the Web (despite the hotly contested controversy over its correct pronunciation). With 2012 being the 25th anniversary of the GIF we think the 17th Annual Webby Awards is a most fitting event to honor and celebrate Steve Wilhite and this historical achievement.’ Brave: But even in the face of tyranny and elitism, the GIF's inventor stands firm. 'The Oxford English Dictionary accepts both pronunciations' he said. ¿They are wrong.¿ .
Wilhite. The man who gave the world the of the GIF, accepts a Webby Lifetime Achievement award May 21. He says his invention is pronounced