Inventor Of 'GIF' Steve Wilhite Passes Away At 74

Guwahati: Steve Wilhite, the man who generated millions of memes through his incredible invention of the humble GIF in 1987, has passed away.

His wife told NPR that Steve, whose Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) helped in personalizing the internet, succumbed to a two-week battle with Covid - 19 earlier this month. He was 74 at the time of his death.

The GIF was developed by the computer scientist's team at CompuServe in 1987. The GIF was developed at a time when the format did not become a signature feature of the early web and later the go-to means for exchanging jokes, memes and reactions on social media as it is today.

Wilhite was felicitated with a Webby Lifetime Achievement Award back in 2013 and he used the occasion to clear out a long-running humorous debate regarding the correct pronunciation of the acronym. Via the use of GIF, he communicated that it is pronounced as 'Jif.'

The tool gained popularity by its unique ability to loop brief animations and it enabled the tool to create dynamic elements in early web design. MySpace and Tumblr, which happen to be two of the pioneering social media services, were defined by their usage of GIFs, and the web service Giphy began their journey back in 2013 purely to assist people to find interesting and appealing GIFs.

The GIF is still regarded as a popular and beloved mainstay of the web even after thirty-five years of its inventions and after several generations of graphics and animations.

GIF search engines have been integrated by social networks like Twitter and Telegram, and these GIF search engines are filled 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 read.

Also read: Twitter Users Can Now Record GIF from iOS App's Camera

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