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    PBS 'Off Book' explores the history of the Animated GIF

    PBS 'Off Book' explores the history of the Animated GIF

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    PBS OffBook explores the history of the animated GIF.

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    cat shark

    Whether you prefer the hard or soft G (against inventor Bob Berry's decree), heartwarming or bizarre, it's impossible to deny the animated GIF's growth on the web during the past few years. PBS Off Book takes a look at the history of the animated image format from the early days of the flames and under construction signs to today's multimedia mashups. The short doc talks to REED + RADER's Pamela Reed and Matthew Rader, Tumblr's Topher Chris, and MemeFactory's Patrick Davison, a group that has watched the rebirth of the format after its early web 1.0 days.