Tinnitus Doesn't Bother Me + I Develop Cool Software

[Contrast]

Hello, it's me, Contrast—the guy who used to expose health scams and post funny memes. I still create funny memes, but I no longer debunk health scams. I've been absent from Tinnitus Talk for several years and likely won't return. I wanted to post this closure thread to let everyone know what I've been up to.

I now develop open-source software plugins for a computer program called GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) and its engine, GEGL (GIMP's Engine Graphics Library). GIMP is a free alternative to Adobe Photoshop, a popular image editor.

First, let me explain my story from the beginning. Back in 2017, I got tinnitus and was miserable, so I came to Tinnitus Talk for comfort and fellowship. I made friends here like @threefirefour, @Champ, @JohnAdams, @GSC, and others. Good people. In 2018-2019, I had a lot of fun on Tinnitus Talk in a meme posting corner of the website called "My Posting Place," but by 2020, it became low-key. Mid-to-late 2020 was the last year I spent on Tinnitus Talk debunking health scams. However, on the side, I was working on something else that turned into a full-time digital job for me.

Starting in mid-2021, when I was barely using Tinnitus Talk, I began researching computer software called GEGL. GEGL is an open-source image processing library that performs functions similar to Adobe Photoshop's filters (light touch-ups, saturation boosts, blurs, sharpens, outlines, shadows, etc.) and is run through GIMP. Think of GIMP as the car and GEGL as the engine. Got it?

To put it briefly, I create software that helps GIMP-style text and do other fancy things, as shown in the attached pictures.

Not only do I create plugins for GIMP, but a few of my plugins are now officially in GIMP's development branch. Once the next release of GIMP happens, thousands of people will be able to use my text styling software.

You can find more about my computing work here:

 

[Zigs]

Hey! I'm happy for you. What do you think helped your recovery? Is your tinnitus quieter now, or are you just habituated?

 

[Calapsodis]

@Contrast, I've seen you come up quite a lot in the old threads on Tinnitus Talk during the years I spent lurking. It'll be sad to see you go, but I'm sure I'm not alone when I say you will be missed. You should be proud of your hard work, and congratulations that you're making big leaps for yourself. Oh, and of course, I'm glad you're doing well with your tinnitus. Please take care of yourself, and don't forget this place or the impact you've made here.