You are correct to point out that many slur words also have "innocent" usage. For example the literal meaning of "f*gg*t" is "a bundle of sticks."

Given that the Quentin Tarantino film "Pulp Fiction" came out in 1994, and the GNU Image Project was started in 1995 by college students, I'd bet you anything the name is a tongue-in-cheek reference to that movie's infamous "basement scene." For those of you unfamiliar with Tarantino's movies, they deliberately push the envelope of good taste. GIMP was a marginally clever "ha ha, I get the reference" name for a college student's pet project in 1995, but the joke is getting old in 2019.

People over 60 would not think it rude?

Frankly, the double meaning never occurred to me. GNU Image Project makes sense to me.

I think GNOME is next.
And anyhow, RMS started it all - what's his problem with gnus?

Ha ha. A shot right into your own foot!

Nobody of us (I assume) is using such words within any community and we also

by using the word and the program GIMP.

It's the name of a program! Nothing more, nothing less!

Just don't let stupid play-ground kiddies and/or some ugly people with terrible behaviour take over to rule the naming of GNU/Linux and its programs!

It's the name of a program for almost 25 years now.

I dare to say people taking offense of the programs name GIMP are just too stupid for GNU/Linux - as they just don't understand what it really means!

Moved to General.

You bring up a good point: People with disabilities are often called "stupid" or "ugly." It is a real thing that happens every day. I don't have all the answers, but it is good to have the conversation. Thank you for starting this discussion. :)

I still don't get the brouhaha over this..the folks asked The GIMP folks to change the name so they forked it and changed the name that's exactly what you're supposed to do, solve the perceived problem.

If Lunduke is right they also contributing both code and money to The GIMP

I think I miss upderstood the offence taken
I saw Pulp Fiction, so gimp makes me think of something else

So this new name Glimpse, is that like a voyurism thing?

I had given up hope* of finding a fork of "the gimp" and stopped looking - now I should have an equivalent alternative (as soon as they fix some other problems) that I can use. I'll continue looking for alternatives, but will be keeping an eye on this one.

They are forking for the wrong reason, but I don't find them any worse than the current project developers.


*Been looking for a replacement for usability reasons as well as the name. Politically correct or not, I found that the name WAS a problem in trying to get it adopted at work.

Seems like a positive step to me.

When I think of other meanings for "gimp," I always think of the movie, Pulp Fiction (full disclosure: I've never seen it and have no desire to do so). I've never thought of persons with disabilities. Of course, that may say more about me . . . .

Given that the full name of the GIMP is the Gnu Image Manipulation Program and "GIMP" is merely an acronym, I think this is a case of someone looking for a reason to be outraged, and any reason will do. (And, if Lunduke is involved, as someone implied, add several grains of salt, as Lunduke, smart and witty as he is, is a professional provocateur.)

As an aside, I'm old. What today is called "political correctness" in my day, you young whippersnappers, was called "courtesy." It was considered "courteous" not to make offensive remarks, especially not in the presence of those likely to be the targets of those remarks. Grump, grump, grump.

Just my two cents.

^ I take offense at your ageism!
/s

I wonder what actual disabled people (am I allowed to say it like that? Maybe I should say "differently-abled"?) have to say about it.
One can speak up for someone else's sensitivities only to a certain extent.

Aside:
Would you say that many Monty Python sketches are homophobic (careful, trick question)?

"In order to tell the truth you have to risk offending someone" - Jordan Peterson

Unfortunately this is a symptom of our politically correct times, and the less credence given to such self-serving idiocy the better.

To make it clear, the Glimpse devs are not saying that the name GIMP is wrong and insulting, they're saying it could be. Has anyone ever complained that they've felt insulted by the name? If not, forking GIMP comes across just as a attention-whoring from the Glimpse dev[s] and if someone has complained, they should get over it. As Steve Hughes said, "nothing happens when you get offended - you're an adult, deal with it". We shouldn't have to restructure everything we say on the off-chance that an extremely small minority of people will get 'offended'. If I were disabled [touch wood], would I care that there was a piece of software out there called GIMP whose letters stand for nothing whatsoever to do with being disabled? No, probably not.

To this effect I'm proposing a backcronym for Glimpse - GIMP Locum Indignation-Masking Program, Snowflake Edition

A few years ago Ken Starks made a similar decision in his Helios/Reglue project. (They donate Linux boxen to Texan kids who need them, and used to have an interesting blog. Maybe they still do.) A lot of the kids he worked with were in groups that got called "gimp" and he didn't want them to see that word on the menu of their new computers, so he included it under a different name in their re-spun distro.

I was surprised, but thought that if such an outspoken character was willing to change the name to avoid offence then maybe it was worth changing. It doesn't have the same connotations for me so I'll use whichever project seems best at the job.

"Professionalism" strikes again...

And look no futher:
This has been ejected from the same bowels as the Linux and FreeBSD CoC crap and is based on the work of the same "transgender"/"feminist" "activists", who seek to push their agenda at every given opportunity.

More nonsense from the professionally offended, in their never ending quest to eliminate all possible sources of offence. Not even worth the time and consideration.