![To GIF, or not to GIF](https://townsquare.media/site/522/files/2020/12/RS27116_GettyImages-1066014912.jpg?w=980&q=75)
To GIF, or not to GIF
One of the popular things to add to a Social Media post, or to a message, is a .gif. Each and every day as a Radio Personality part of our daily role is to not only host a show over the airwaves, but to also connect electronically. Whether it's social media, or on the station's website. So we see a lot of images and content daily as we search for things to add to our stories. It is almost impossible to go the day without seeing a gif unless you are completely off the grid and living under a rock! It seems like overnight they have become an essential way to communicate! There is a gif for almost any occasion and believe it or not there is even a special group of gifs for our grand State of Texas--like what's pictured above. If that were an active .gif, the oil rig would be pumping and in motion. But what exactly is a gif? Who invented it and how did it get so popular? According to Webster a gif is “a computer file format for the compression and storage of visual digital information”. It was invented back on June 15, 1987 by a Computer Scientist at CompuServe named Steve Wilhite. Wait! 1987?
If this has been around for over 30 years why had I never heard of it even 10 years ago? Well it seems, like a fine wine, the gif only improved with age! They started as a way to display still images but as technology improved, so did the gif. The gif we know today is a short looping animation made famous by? The internet of course! “Social networking/discussion sites such as Tumblr and Reddit, along with image hosting service Imgur, have played a key role in making gifs a mass shared experience”.
![Lonestar 92.3 logo](http://townsquare.media/site/522/files/2020/08/512.jpg?w=100)
Ok so now, like me, you may be wondering--what is the difference between a gif and a meme? Looking again to Webster, a Meme is defined as “an element of a culture or system of behavior that may be considered to be passed from one individual to another by nongenetic means, especially imitation.” Simply put, a gif can be a meme! So now that you know more than you ever wanted to know about gifs, I will leave you with wishes of a Wonderful Holiday Season!! I gif you a Merry Christmas!
CHECK IT OUT: How To Unlock Your iPhone With Your Voice
More From Lonestar 92.3
![Trying To Squeeze In A River Trip Before Summer Is Over? Here are the Best Texas Rivers To Float](http://townsquare.media/site/522/files/2024/05/attachment-floating.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Don’t Miss Bull Riding and Live Music At The Ector County Coliseum](http://townsquare.media/site/522/files/2024/07/attachment-JAB.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![It’s National Tequila Day! Celebrate With One Of These Great Local Margaritas](http://townsquare.media/site/522/files/2022/05/attachment-RS16485_526283742.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Take A Look At The Legendary Artists That Have Played The Ector County Coliseum](http://townsquare.media/site/522/files/2021/10/attachment-gettyimages-53338220.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![10 Things Every Texas Should Know](http://townsquare.media/site/522/files/2024/07/attachment-Roberta-Guillen-via-unsplash.jpg?w=980&q=75)