I am trying to get into the habit of writing and blogging more. I used to think that a blog had to be profound and meaningful; or a spectacular piece of prose. That is not always the case. While I do want my blog to be a good one and have great content, I am realizing I cannot get to that level without constantly writing and posting. As my blog and depression management sensei Wil Wheaton would say "focus on making a thing rather than a good thing" (paraphrased from an episode of Where's My Burrito). So this week's thing is a divisive topic that I happen to find ridiculously entertaining. For those of you looking for an honest critique of the title subject, please move along, this is a humor piece.
Disclaimer: I am NOT a graphic designer or web developer. I have never created and gif file and I have no understanding of how the file works.
My extensive research on the subject of the GIF file format consisted of my opening wikipedia and reading the article entitled GIF. From that I learned the following things:
- GIF stands for Graphics Interchange Format
- GIF was devolped by Steve Wilhite and introduced by CompuServe in 1987
- Animated GIF capability was introduced in 1989 (this is the type of GIF that tumblr really likes)
- GIF has been recognized as both a noun and a verb
And lastly
- No one can seem to agree on how to pronounce the format abbreviation
This last point is the one that I find to be the most entertaining. Apparently Mr. Wilhite and Co. referred to it as "Jif" as an in joke on the popular American peanut butter, "choosy developers choose Jif." Unfortunately not everyone in the world got the joke and instead started using the hard G sound (you know as in Graphics). And thus a feud was born. According to the wikipedia article this war has involved 3 different dictionary publishers, the White House and Jeopardy! All I can do is sit back and smile while asking the question: WHY?
Something that literally comes down to "potaytoe, potawtoe" is getting top billing in flame wars all across the internet. When we have so many other important things to debate like internet censorship, net neutrality, and which actor was the best Batman. Why are we wasting our precious internet rage on the pronunciation of something we RARELY talk about in the real world? The world may never know.
In conclusion thank you for reading my thing. If you liked it consider subscribing, if not that's cool too.
Live Life in Color
P.S. I will not respond to comments asking me which side of this issue I am on. As I said the argument is silly and therefore I have no opinion ;)
I can't sleep. I am to excited for tomorrow. It is International TabelTop Day and I will be getting my gamer geek on all day (with the exception of a short 4 hour period when I must earn a living). During my fight with insomnia I pulled up Geek and Sundry's Twitch Channel. I did not expect the stream to be active, I was just going to watch some older broadcasts until I was sleepy. What I saw instead was moving and transportive.
G&S Twitch channel is managed by an amazing talent named Zac Eubanks. He and his brother run all of the back end of broadcasting 12 different programs 5 days a week with the occasional help of a small army of interns. Tomorrow the channel is hosting an all day live stream extravaganza for TableTop Day. It is 11:35 PDT where the G&S studio is located and after a full day of streaming Friday's programming from 4pm-10pm PDT Zac and Lucas are still at the G&S set setting up for tomorrow. They have left the stream active with no audio except for a playlist of music. Insomniacs in the U.S. and enthusiasts in other time zones are getting a special glimpse into the back end of what goes into production. For me it is not without a certain level nostalgia and a heavy dose of respect.
I Have spent many late nights in a quiet workshop or on an empty set getting ready for the production that is soon approaching. I have no doubt that these two guys will be up into the wee hours of the morning testing and retesting every system, and cord connection. They will re adjust the tables and chairs, smooth out table cloths, and remove scuff marks from the floor. They may not make it home tonight; they may crash from exhaustion at the set a mere few hours before the event starts tomorrow at 10 am PDT. They will be caffeinated and still exhausted as they manage the largest project they have taken on in the short 4 weeks since the channel went live. But at the end of it all the will high five each other and their other helpers and they will look on this experience as good, and wonderful and will begin to look forward to next year. Why? Because of the love of the work.
In theatre, in tv, in movies, and especially in the world of live broadcast entertainment you cannot work if you do not love it. The hours are too long and the pay is too low for anyone who does not truly love and believe in what they are doing to stick around. Zac and the rest of the Geek and Sundry crew are proving every day that today's world does not belong to the richest or the loudest. It belongs to those who make things and love the things they make so much that they keep making and sharing the things they make.
Whether it is a cool web video, a new video game, a unique tabletop game, a sculpture, a story, a comic strip, or a tie dyed shirt. The world belongs to the makers and creators in our world. so please everyone who reads this, go make a thing. Because creating and making improves us all as whole. Make a story, make game, make a friend, make a memory, make an experience. Then share it. Lets fill the world with great made things.
Live Life in Color
(p.s. be sure to play some games and have a happy TableTop Day)
