CompuServe Introduces the GIF

CompuServe introduced the Graphics Interchange Format, commonly known as the GIF, in 1987, which forever changed how we share and communicate through images on the internet. Developed by Steve Wilhite, the GIF was initially designed to efficiently store and transmit color images for CompuServe’s file downloading areas. Its innovative compression algorithm allowed for compact files that could be easily shared. This ease of sharing gained the attention of early Internet platforms. With the emergence of the Internet, the GIF quickly gained popularity due to its versatility and support for animations. It would play an instrumental role in the development of humor and meme culture online, a direct antecedent to net and eventually “crypto and NFT” art. The GIF’s looping graphics became a hallmark of early web culture and, two decades later, early NFT culture.