If a picture tells a thousand words, how many can you glean from a GIF? Shorthand for Graphics Interchange Format, the GIF has become a staple of digital communication, internet culture and a means to constantly capture the weirdness of Thom Yorke.
The thing is, it’s been around a fair bit longer than you think. Despite a newfound appreciation for the format in our current age of hyperspeed broadband and picture-heavy instant messaging, the GIF is actually older than most of its consumers. Old mate Graphics Interchange Format is turning 30, which is practically ancient in internet years.
From shitty 1990s logos to modern HD masterpieces, the GIF has spent 30 years animating its way into our content-hungry hearts.
Steve Wilhite of COMPUSERVE began work on the Graphics Interchange Format back in 1986, with the intention of creating a lean picture format which would work on all the different operating systems coming out of the woodwork back then.
A year later in 1987, we had the completed file format.
Since then the format has blown up to unbelievable proportions, being found on the front page of most modern websites in the way of content, ads or otherwise.
Read more about the 30 year history of the GIF on WIRED.
