Compiler: Alex
On March 14, 2022, Steve Wilhite, the inventor of the GIF, died at the age of 74 due to complications from COVID-19.
GIF inventor Steve Wilhite (Photo: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for The Webby Awards; Wikipedia)
In 1987, Steve Wilhite invented GIF. At the time, no one could have imagined that a small GIF would become an Internet meme and pop up in everyday conversation.
In honor of Steve Wilhite, we’ve compiled nine gif-related facts from the history of gifs and Steve Wilhite’s reporting. Either way, we hope this article has taught you a little bit more about GIF and its creator, Steve Wilhite.
1. GIF origin
In the 1980s, CompuServe developer Steve Wilhite and his team tried to solve a problem: How could computers save memory while displaying images? This was before the World Wide Web, and users needed to subscribe to CompuServe’s service to transfer files and send mail. How to share color image files without taking up too much computer memory? Steve Wilhite found a way to exchange images between computers using the LZW compression algorithm combined with image parameters (256 colors available) that were very clear and did not require a lot of colors. Steve Wilhite called this new invention Graphics Interchange Format, or GIF.
2. First GIF
In a rare interview (Steve Wilhite rarely gives interviews), Steve Wilhite told tech media daily Dot_ :
“I think the first GIF was a picture of a plane. It was a long time ago.”
3. Create giFs all by yourself
“Steve invented GIF all by himself — he actually invented it at home and perfected it before he put it to work,” Steve Wilhite’s wife Kathaleen told Tech outlet The Verge_. “He always worked out what he was going to do in his head, and then he did his best to program it on the computer.”
“He invented GIF all by himself — He actually did that at home and brought it into work after He perfected it.”
Netscape saved the GIF
Netscape was the first browser to allow users to interact on websites using images – meaning you could link to a new web page by clicking on an image. In 1995, Netscape Navigator2.0 released support for gifs and added an infinite loop effect to gifs. People can decorate their websites with GIF stills or giFs. It’s very simple. Steve Wilhite told _Daily Dot_ :
“If Netscape had not added giFs in their browser, it would have died in 1998.”
Into also LZW, also lost LZW
GIF was able to achieve revolutionary success because it used an algorithm called LZW (Lempel-Ziv-Welch, named after the three inventors). LZW enables lossless compression of files by identifying repetitive patterns and then simplifying them.
However, the technology patent for LWZ compression algorithm is held by Unisys. In 1994, Unisys and CompuServe announced a patent fee for any software that used LWZ algorithms, including TIFF, GIF and PDF. This infuriated the developers, who resisted Unisys by creating a new file format called PNG that didn’t use LZW, and celebrated a “Burn All GIFs” festival on November 5, 1999, in which they came together and collectively deleted GIF files. Unisys’ patent purchases are targeted at large companies, not individuals, but developers feel threatened.
In the summer of 2004, Unisys’ LZW patent expired. GIF is back on top.
GIF explosion
Reddit, Twitter and Tumblr were launched in 2005, 2006 and 2007 respectively. They contributed significantly to the explosion of the GIF social culture. In particular, image-friendly Tumblr allows you to upload 10 GIFs at once. On Tumblr, elaborate giFs are used to tell stories and spread current events.
The widespread popularity of giFs has also contributed to the emergence of GIF artists. Graphic designer David Szakaly (known online as Davidope) is one of the most famous GIF artists. He changed the perception that giFs should only be used for fun by making them artistic. David’s works are usually black and white and have an infinite loop effect. Below is his work.
Source of images (dvdp.tumblr.com/)
In 2013, Tumblr chose GIF creator and game designer Roger Von Biersborn as its first artist in residence, inviting him to create original art for the site.
GIF pronunciation debate
The pronunciation of gifs has long been debated, between the voiced G (gift, great) and the light G (gentle, giraffe). GIF creator Steve Wilhite has repeatedly stressed that the G in giFs should be pronounced soft, even adapting a popular Jif peanut butter commercial to teach people how to pronounce it correctly: Choosy developers choose GIF (original slogan for Choosy mothers choose Jif) Still, many people read giFs with gift and drop the ‘t’. Eventually, even an authoritative dictionary like Oxford had to include both pronunciations.
8. Steve Wilhite’s favorite GIF
Steve Wilhite once revealed in an interview that his favorite GIF is a “funny baby dancing GIF.” The image, also known as “Baby Cha-cha,” was originally released by Character Studio as a 3D-rendered animation that took the Internet by storm in 1996.
9. Prove yourself as the inventor of GIF
In his later years, Steve Wilhite wrote the entire giFS creation process into a three-page document and often shared the story with his children and grandchildren, his wife Kathaleen told The New York Times.
Wilhite’s granddaughter Kylie told her computer science teacher at school (her grandfather was the inventor of giFs), but she didn’t believe it and thought Kylie was joking. As a result, Steve Wilhite wrote a letter to the teacher to confirm his granddaughter’s story and signed his name.
In 2013, The Webby Awards presented Steve Wilhite with a lifetime achievement Award, which was presented to him by Tumblr founder David Karp.
Editor’s note: The Annual Webby Awards, created by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences in New York, honor outstanding contributions made by the best websites, interactive advertising, online movies and video, and mobile apps. — From Baidu Encyclopedia
CompuServe director Sandy Trevor once said of Steve Wilhite, “He’s a software genius, and while Steve is best known for creating giFs, that’s just a small part of what he’s done. Steve Wilhite had written separate Fortran and BASIC versions for CompuServe and a database management system when he invented GIF. He then developed the service’s “Host Micro Interface” protocol, which allows CIM software to communicate with CompuServe’s mainframe computers (regardless of the computing platform the customer is using), essentially implementing a “graphical browser.”
Sadly, this genius is now gone forever.
Steve Wilhite’s obituary said, “Even with all his accomplishments, he remained a very humble, kind, and good man.”
“Despite all his achievements, he remains a man of great humility, kindness and integrity.”
Thanks and condolences poured in on Steve’s obituary page.
Steve Wilhite may have passed away forever, but the giFs he left behind will continue to entertain us.
Sources:
www.smithsonianmag.com/history/bri…
www.npr.org/2022/03/23/…
www.vox.com/culture/201…
Techcrunch.com/gallery/a-b…
www.dailydot.com/upstream/gi…
www.nytimes.com/2022/03/24/…
www.rogervonbiersborn.com/
Pixel77.com/gifs-journe…
www.fastcompany.com/90734869/hi…
www.megiefuneralhome.com/obituaries/…
In memory of Mr. Steve Wilhite, tomb-sweeping Day is approaching.
