Steve Wilhite
Steve Wilhite | |
|---|---|
| Born | Stephen Earl Wilhite March 3, 1948 Webby Lifetime Achievement[1] |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Computer science |
| Institutions | CompuServe, AOL |
Stephen Earl WilhiteWebby Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013.[4]
Biography
Stephen Earl Wilhite was born in
West Chester Township, Ohio, on March 3, 1948, the son of Anna Lou (Dorsey), a nurse, and Clarence Earl Wilhite, a factory worker.[5][6] Wilhite's team at CompuServe developed the GIF (Graphic Interchange Format) in 1987. Its adoption by the earliest web browser in 1991[7] helped make it a few years later in 1995 the most popular image file format.[8] Twenty years later in 2016, the format still had mainstream use in website design, social media posts, workflow documents and how-to guides.[9][10]
Wilhite remained a CompuServe/
Host Micro Interface (HMI) and CompuServe B protocol for the CompuServe Information Manager (CIM); new service features in the early 1990s; Web chat software in the late 1990s; and investigating Web community models until his 2001 departure after suffering a stroke.[4]
Wilhite's name comes up frequently in debate[11] over the pronunciation of the GIF acronym.[4] "The Oxford English Dictionary accepts both pronunciations," Wilhite said. "They are wrong. It is a soft 'G', pronounced 'jif'. End of story."[4] The intended pronunciation deliberately echoes the American peanut butter brand Jif.[12]
Wilhite died at a hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio, following complications from COVID-19,[13] on March 14, 2022, aged 74.[5][11][14]
References
- ^ "Special Achievement – Lifetime Achievement". International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
- ^ Smith, Harrison (March 24, 2022). "Stephen Wilhite, computer programmer who created the GIF, dies at 74". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
- ^ ISSN 0887-7661.
- ^ a b c d O'Leary, Amy (May 21, 2013). "An Honor for the Creator of the GIF". Bits – Business, Innovation, Technology, Society. The New York Times Company. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
- ^ a b Holpuch, Amanda; Vigdor, Neil (March 24, 2022). "Stephen Wilhite, Creator of the Animated GIF, Dies at 74". The New York Times. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
- ^ Smith, Harrison (March 24, 2022). "Stephen Wilhite, computer programmer who created the GIF, dies at 74". Washington Post. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
- ^ Magazine, Smithsonian; Boissoneault, Lorraine. "A Brief History of the GIF, From Early Internet Innovation to Ubiquitous Relic". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
- ^ "The GIF Controversy: A Software Developer's Perspective – mike.pub". January 27, 1995. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
- ^ Taylor, Mark (January 13, 2017). "4 Trends in Web Design That Would Take Businesses to Greater Heights in 2017". LinkedIn. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
- ^ "Digital pioneer | Ohio Cooperative Living".
- ^ a b Clark, Mitchell (March 23, 2022). "Stephen Wilhite, creator of the GIF, has died". The Verge. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
- ^ Olsen, Steve. "The GIF Pronunciation Page". Retrieved March 6, 2009.
- ^ Hubbard, Halisia (March 23, 2022). "Beloved creator of the GIF dies following complications from COVID, wife confirms". NPR.
- ^ "Stephen E. Wilhite Obituary". Megie Funeral Home. Retrieved March 20, 2022 – via Tribute Archive.
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