The GIF Turns 30: How an Ancient Format Changed the Internet

Wired ^ | 5/28/17 | Klint Finley

[Lisbon1940]

Animated GIFs have transcended their obscure 1990s roots to become a key part of day-to-day digital communication. Some, like Orson Welles clapping or Michael Jackson eating popcorn, have become instantly recognizable shorthand. Others, like Sean Spicer disappearing into the bushes—itself a remix of a popular Simpsons GIF—serve up political satire. The GIF does double duty as both expression and as badge of digital literacy. Not bad for an image standard that pre-dates the web itself.

[Lisbon1940]

Interesting history of the animated GIF. Where would FR be without it?

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

The Hillary ones are the best.

[Brandonmark]

[ClearCase_guy]

[Vince Ferrer]

[VanDeKoik]

Saw my first animated GIF around 1994-5 because you actually had to wait for Netscape to come out with an upgrade that allowed them to be visible!

But boy it was like the same feeling people must have had seeing a moving picture for the first time!

And all I was looking at was a spinning ball (on C-Net) with the word GIF on it.

[bigbob]

Excellent thread!

[a fool in paradise]

"Oh... it's YOU."

[Fiddlstix]

[a fool in paradise]

Groper's greatest hits

[al baby]

[NohSpinZone]

Of course the yutes have no idea where gifs came from.

[Jane Long]

[Blue Highway]

Did this article even address the history about the GIF? The last sentence I see says, ‘not bad for a format that
Predated the internet’. Is there more to the article than this? When I clicked on the link for article it wouldn’t open up unless I had an Apple news app.

[dfwgator]

[musicman]

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[a fool in paradise]

I'll see your dancing baby and raise you a dancing cat

[Jane Long]

[a fool in paradise]

>>Of course the yutes have no idea where gifs came from.

They evolved from random bits. Any public school student knows that.

[dfwgator]