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Computer programmer Steve Wilhite, probably best known as the inventor of the GIF, has passed away. The internet staple graphics interchange format (GIF) was created in 1987 while Wilwhite worked for CompuServe.
Steve’s wife Kathaleen Wilhite confirmed to NPR he had passed away due to COVID-19 complications.
“It came on suddenly. He woke up one morning and he said, ‘Honey, I don’t feel good. I don’t feel good at all.’ And he was running a fever, throwing up so badly. And then the next day he started coughing badly,” Kathaleen said.
Thank you for your contribution to our daily lives, Steve. But we’ll never call it a “jif,” even though you pronounced it that way.
Inventor of the GIF Steve Wilhite Has Passed Away
Mary Anne Butler
Mary Anne Butler (Mab) got her start in album reviews and live concert coverage for a nationally published (print) music magazine as a teenager. She eventually transitioned to online media, writing for such sites as UGO/IGN, ComicsOnline, Geek Magazine, Ace of Geeks, Aggressive Comix (Editor-in-Chief), Bleeding Cool (News Editor), Nerdbot (as Editor-In-Chief), and now [Bad]Influencers, where she is Editor-in-Chief. Over the past 15 years, she’s built a well-known reputation at conventions across the globe as a cosplayer (occasionally), photographer (constantly), panelist and moderator (mostly), and reporter (always). Interviews, reviews, observations, breaking news, and objective reporting are the name of the game for the founder of Harkonnen Knife Fight, a Dune-themed band. She also produces award-winning immersive events, including Wasteland Weekend and Neotropolis.