Vox: The GIF was invented in 1989. And since its beginning, the GIF has been used to make money. At first, GIFs were sold as placeholders for the web of the ’90s and early 2000s. But after web design became informed by professional standards, gifs lost their role as placeholders. Eventually they became tools of expression, turning snippets of video from popular culture into bite size communication devices. Today, a few big tech companies are trying to capitalize on this new use of GIFs, partnering with brands who want their content to be used as communication.
See also
- Reply All episode #61 Baby King — This week, Alex stumbles upon the weirdest gifs ever made, and goes hunting for their creators.
- That emoji does not mean what you think it means
- How to speak on the Internet
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