I can't even say it the hard G way. Sounds terribly awkward coming out of my mouth.
And since the damn INVENTOR says I don't have to, that's A-OK with me. P.S. He's always said it was Jif, that news has been on Anglefire pages since the .gif came into being, the BBC has just decided to make it a big thing right now.
I had also never met so many people who use the "Gift -t" pronunciation until these threads.
The hard-G pronunciation of the letter G usually comes when a, o, or u follows it (think gas, good, or guy). We pronounce G's as the soft-G when i, e, or y follow it (think giraffe, German, or analogy). There are exceptions of course, but in general practice, Wilhite has his point. GIF is followed by an I.