The hard G pronunciation probably comes from its similar spelling to the word "gift."
Also, the G in GIF stands for "Graphics", which has a hard G sound.
This has always been my thought on the matter. I am surprised there's a controversy. The only times I've heard it pronounced 'jif' is by people unsure of the pronunciation and quickly corrected.
^he speaks the truth. Although I think this is a fair last-ditch effort to revert back to the original intended pronunciation.
There are many who have always pronounced it 'jif'. I thought it was strange when I first learned that there are people who say 'gif' with a 'G' sound.
Words can have many pronunciations. This one has two, as evidenced by the fact that we are even discussing it.
It will be curious to see what society agrees upon then.