GIF inventor’s loss of life from Covid sparks outpouring of GIFs on Twitter

The man who spawned tens of millions of memes by way of his invention in 1987 of the standard GIF has died. Steve Wilhite, whose Graphics Interchange Format helped personalize the web, misplaced a two-week battle with Covid-19 earlier this month, his spouse advised NPR. He was 74.

The laptop scientist’s staff at CompuServe developed the GIF in 1987, years earlier than the format turned a signature characteristic of the early internet and later the go-to means for exchanging jokes, memes and reactions on social media. He was awarded a Webby Lifetime Achievement award in 2013, utilizing the event to settle a long-running humorous debate concerning the correct pronunciation of the acronym. It’s pronounced “jif,” he communicated — by way of the usage of a GIF.

The GIF’s skill to loop temporary animations made it a well-liked software for creating dynamic parts in early internet design. MySpace and Tumblr, two of the pioneering social media companies, have been outlined by their use of GIFs, and the net service Giphy began life in 2013 purely to assist individuals discover cool and amusing GIFs.

Thirty-five years after its invention, and several other generations of graphics and animation codecs later, the GIF endures as a well-liked and beloved mainstay of the net. Social networks like Twitter and Telegram have built-in GIF serps, that are populated with snippets of iconic moments and video clips.

“Even with all his accomplishments, he remained a very humble, kind, and good man,” Wilhite’s obituary learn.