Gif passnotes:

Name: Gif.

Age: 26.

Appearance: A cat falling into a toilet, for ever.

Why are we talking about Gifs? Is one trending on Twitter? Is it a girl bouncing on a trampoline without a bra again? Nope, it’s the inventor of the Gif, Steven Wilhite.

Steven Wilhite has been bouncing on a trampoline without a bra? Get your mind out of the gutter. He has been voicing his concern that we have all been mispronouncing the word “Gif” for the past two decades.

Have we? You mean people exist in this world who say the word “Gif” out loud? Yes. And they’ve been using a hard G when they’ve done it, like “gosh” or “gorilla” or “git”.

And presumably it’s supposed to have a soft G? That’s right, like “Germany” or “gin” or “Gee, does any of this even matter?”

Does it even matter? Apparently it does. Wilhite picked up a lifetime achievement Webby for his invention this week and took the opportunity to conclusively state that “It is a soft ‘G’, pronounced ‘jif’. End of story.”

Well, that’s us told. What does Gif stand for, anyway? Graphics Interchange Format.

But “graphics” starts with a hard G. Shouldn’t Gif start with a hard G too? Stop it, you’re only complicating things.

guardian-benefits-diaries:

Being disabled, my biggest fear is the letter will contain a referral to Atos again. Despite having severe mobility problems, amongst other things, I spent the whole of last year appealing the decision on my employment and support allowance (ESA) which when all the way to tribunal despite the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) own paperwork stating that I was “unlikely to work in the longer term”. In fact, on the morning of the tribunal they telephoned me and, with no small amount of incredulity in his voice, told me that I did not have to attend and that my appeal was successful and I was placed in the support group.

Another great post on our benefits diaries Tumblr sharing the realities of the government’s welfare reforms - this one on the dread of what could be in the post, by crazybladeuk

Steve Wilhite, who invented the enduring GIF file format in 1987, will receive a lifetime achievement Webby Award.

He is proud of the GIF, but remains annoyed that there is still any debate over the pronunciation of the format.

“The Oxford English Dictionary accepts both pronunciations,” Mr. Wilhite said. “They are wrong. It is a soft ‘G,’ pronounced ‘jif.’ End of story.”

Gif guff? Or respect to the ‘jif’?

Web pioneer reveals details of acquisition of blogging platform, as site’s 26-year-old founder tells staff: ‘Fuck yeah’. By Charles Arthur and Josh Halliday

Latest story on Guardian just up

yahoo:

I’m delighted to announce that we’ve reached an agreement to acquire Tumblr!

We promise not to screw it up. Tumblr is incredibly special and has a great thing going. We will operate Tumblr independently. David Karp will remain CEO. The product roadmap, their team, their wit and…

First news of its kind announced by animated gif?

Reports claim board has approved move to buy blogging platform site that could catapult Yahoo back into top flight web firms

Press release from Yahoo just now:

Yahoo! to Acquire Tumblr

Promises not to screw it up

What do you think of the idea of Tumblr being bought by Yahoo? What do you think makes Tumblr so attractive?