Inventedin 1987,the GIF (or Graphics Interchange Format)definitely isn’tshowingits age.Popularon amicable networks, village websites,andmaking appearancesin merger announcements,the GIFhas developedfromthe spinning email animationsof yesteryearinto reducedand seamless piecesof online media.Itwas declared wordofthe yearin 2012,and yesterday,its author— Steve Wilhite— supposed the lifetime feat endowmentatThe Webby Awards.

Wilhitecreatedthe GIFwhenhewas operativeat CompuServe (an earlyUS ISP). AccordingtoTheNew York Times,the formatwas creatively dictatedtohelpthe associationdisplay thingslike tone continue maps, nonethelessthe initial picturehecreatedwasan charcterised paper airplane. Morethan 10 yearsafterhis retirement,he stays unapproachableofhis originationbutthere’s the single thinghe’sbeen wantingtoclarify—the dictionofthe word. Fittingly, Wilhite used the GIFforhis Webby acceptance speech, remindingus“it’s conspicuous JIF,not GIF.”