When we first saw these people painting the street, we didn't think much of it. But, when we saw the end result, our minds were collectively blown. This is remarkable.
As discussed in this fantastic video, this type of artistic medium is relatively modern and known as a GIF. Standing for Graphics Interchange Format, this type of image was initially developed by a company called by CompuServe in 1987.
Wikipedia explains that, "The format supports up to 8 bits per pixel for each image, allowing a single image to reference its own palette of up to 256 different colors chosen from the 24-bit RGB color space. It also supports animations and allows a separate palette of up to 256 colors for each frame. These palette limitations make the GIF format less suitable for reproducing color photographs and other images with continuous color, but it is well-suited for simpler images such as graphics or logos with solid areas of color." More recently, they have become popular on the Internet for their entertaining animations and ability for people to share amongst friends with ease.
Many have argued over how to pronounce this popular image style. According to one of the creators of the format, Steve Wilhite, there's truly only one way to say it. Wilhite says that "the intended pronunciation deliberately echoes the American peanut butter brand, Jif, and CompuServe employees would often say 'Choosy developers choose GIF', spoofing this brand's television commercials."
That wasn't the end of the ordeal, however. In fact, it still continues to this day. "The disagreement over the pronunciation has led to heated Internet debate. On the occasion of receiving a lifetime achievement award at the 2013 Webby Award ceremony, Wilhite rejected the alternative pronunciation, and his speech led to 17,000 posts on Twitter and 50 news articles. The White House and TV program 'Jeopardy!' also waded into the debate during 2013." Crazy, right?
Where do you land on the pronunciation? How did you feel about this incredible piece of visual achievement? Please share your thoughts and feelings with us in the comment section below.
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