Steve Wilhite
Encyclopedia
Steve Wilhite of CompuServe
invented the GIF file format which went on to become the de facto standard
for 8-bit images on the Internet
until the late 1990s.
Steve Wilhite remained on the CompuServe
/AOL
payroll into the first decade of the 21st century working on a variety of CompuServe systems. These included CompuServe's wire protocol for their GUI
clients in the 1980s, new service features in the early 1990s, web chat software in the late 1990s, and investigating web community models until his departure after being disabled by a stroke
. He has since recovered.
Wilhite's name comes up frequently in debate over the pronunciation of the GIF acronym. Steve Wilhite always used the pronunciation that sounds like Jif peanut butter and if asked would usually reply "Choosy programmers choose 'jif'."
CompuServe
CompuServe was the first major commercial online service in the United States. It dominated the field during the 1980s and remained a major player through the mid-1990s, when it was sidelined by the rise of services such as AOL with monthly subscriptions rather than hourly rates...
invented the GIF file format which went on to become the de facto standard
De facto standard
A de facto standard is a custom, convention, product, or system that has achieved a dominant position by public acceptance or market forces...
for 8-bit images on the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
until the late 1990s.
Steve Wilhite remained on the CompuServe
CompuServe
CompuServe was the first major commercial online service in the United States. It dominated the field during the 1980s and remained a major player through the mid-1990s, when it was sidelined by the rise of services such as AOL with monthly subscriptions rather than hourly rates...
/AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
payroll into the first decade of the 21st century working on a variety of CompuServe systems. These included CompuServe's wire protocol for their GUI
Graphical user interface
In computing, a graphical user interface is a type of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices with images rather than text commands. GUIs can be used in computers, hand-held devices such as MP3 players, portable media players or gaming devices, household appliances and...
clients in the 1980s, new service features in the early 1990s, web chat software in the late 1990s, and investigating web community models until his departure after being disabled by a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
. He has since recovered.
Wilhite's name comes up frequently in debate over the pronunciation of the GIF acronym. Steve Wilhite always used the pronunciation that sounds like Jif peanut butter and if asked would usually reply "Choosy programmers choose 'jif'."