Our blogs are the platforms from which we share our experiences, opinions, and views with the online world. As part of our Weekly Writing Challenges, we want to help you find what you’re opinionated about.
With our Mind the Gap posts, we’ll pick a trending topic in the media and ask you what you think. Each Mind the Gap challenge will include a poll where you can cast your vote along with your fellow Daily Post participants. After you vote, tell us more about how you feel by expanding on the topic in a blog post.
To participate in the challenge, tag your posts with “DPchallenge” or leave a link to your post in the comments. We will keep an eye on the tag and highlight the week’s best posts on Freshly Pressed each Friday.
Once upon a time, Sir Tim Berners-Lee created the internet. Not long after, the animated GIF was born. An animated GIF is a series of images that create the impression of movement, much like a mini-movie that repeats on an endless loop.
Time was, animated GIFs were the sole province of whimsical lolcats — graduating to meme status with the infamous “haters gonna hate,” a GIF / catchphrase used to dismiss hostile remarks.
During the Olympics in London this past summer, Buzzfeed took the lowly animated GIF to a new level, using them as a storytelling mechanism as part of their Olympics coverage.
Even more recently, Ann Friedman used a series of animated of GIFs as social commentary on the US election. Additionally, the word “GIF” has been voted word of the year by Oxford Dictionaries.
This week’s Mind the Gap: Are animated GIFs the stuff of junior highschool hijinks or, are they the political cartoons of the new millenium? What do you think? Take the poll (below) and then explain your opinion by blogging about it on your site. Tag your post “DPchallenge,” so that we can be sure to find your contribution to the challenge.
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Reblogged this on MetaRead360 Small Press presents and commented:
NOTE: Art is art is art…in any form!
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GIF is a new word for me, but I’m on it.
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And now I think I’ve got it! Want to see my first gif? http://wp.me/p1B5ek-Ta
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Is it alright to just talk about our opinions on Animated GIF’s?
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It would be great if you could blog about whether you think GIFs are silly fun or high art, though it’s your blog and of course you are free to write about what moves you most.
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OK, thanks for replying and letting me know! 🙂
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Love gifs!! They can convey a big message in just a few seconds 😉 my favorite is at what should we call nursing tumblr blog. It’s hilarious!
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They strike me as mini commercials, their view over and over again… that only annoys me.
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This is forcing me to learn and to research …never though too deeply about it.
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Delighted to hear we’re forcing you to learn!
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A hard one, can’t think how to approach it but will get involve with this challenge.
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First time posting. Thanks
http://itsonlydominicspeight.wordpress.com/2012/11/26/are-animated-gifs-the-stuff-of-junior-highschool-hijinks-or-are-they-the-political-cartoons-of-the-new-millenium/
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That’s for sure . I am still in the chair. Dentist had to take a break.
Sent from Samsung mobile
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how to add or tell our story?
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Hi Tanu, Create a post on your blog that answers this question: Are animated GIFs the stuff of junior highschool hijinks or, are they the political cartoons of the new millenium? What do you think? Tag your post “DPchallenge,” so that we can be sure to find your contribution to the challenge.
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http://artisthippiecalichic.wordpress.com/2012/11/26/ode-to-animated-gifs/
Life’s short. Be silly. Make a ridiculous GIF. Why not?
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I am totally lost of this challenge. Am I the only one? 🙂
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no you’re not the only one.lol ^^
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LOL 🙂 It must be my public school education rearing its ugly little head.
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me too 🙂
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I’m glad I was not the only one.
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Hi Liz, what are you confused about?
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Sorry it took me so long to respond. I was traveling. I just didn’t understand how to write about a GIF. It just seem really abstact to me.
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here’s my contribution: a gif that keeps on giving http://plaridel.wordpress.com/2012/11/26/a-gif-that-keeps-on-giving/
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http://justxjosh.com/2012/11/26/weekly-writing-challenge-gettin-giffy-with-it/
My opinion on this weeks challenge. Surely its worth a read for the title alone? 😀
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I can’t wait to hear everyone else’s opinion on this. Especially those who are either new or unfamiliar with what a GIF is. Personally, I find them amusing! http://prosemachine.wordpress.com/2012/11/26/weekly-writing-challenge-mind-the-gap-gifs/
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I see I am not the only one who had never heard of GIFs before. Perhaps I’m not such a troglodyte after all. And I’m amused to be amusing. I would have to become familiar with them before I trying to judge them–but likely they are like most things: sometimes art, sometimes silly.
reply to mind-the-gap: gifs
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Reblogged this on IDHBIC.
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Reblogged this on Of course there's a "why"….
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I’m thinking I might give this a try, but have been having a problem being posted to the comments here for several weeks. So if this comment shows up, I’ll be back … if not…
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I can see your comment, get postin!
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Cheers!
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GIF IT: http://thetrashbash.wordpress.com/2012/11/27/weekly-writing-challenge-mind-the-gap/
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GIF’s have defiantly caught on, and are my generation’s new platform.
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this was a little fun… hope you enjoy… a shot through the heart… and you’re to blame:
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GIF images are definitely eye catcher as media…..
http://mang0pe0ple.wordpress.com/2012/11/27/weekly-writing-challenge-gif-images/
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Animated GIFs can be a problem to upload to many blogs, forums and social networking sites…
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Yes, there must be a trick to get them to work in animation.
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WOOO G.I.F’s
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Keeping things short and punchy is the key to cartooning for me, so GIFs…why not?!
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The Minister of Magic is concerned the debate on GIFs can go out of hand: http://artmoscow.wordpress.com/2012/11/27/weekly-writing-challenge-the-minister-of-magic-expresses-concern-over-gif-debate/
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The GIFs, although often silly, can be fun or boring: http://irvent.wordpress.com/2012/11/26/weekly-writing-challenge-mind-the-gap-gifs/
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The GIFs can be both. I’ve seen many childish animations but many are also creative and effective for getting the point across.
http://darleneglasgow.wordpress.com/2012/11/27/mind-the-gap-weekly-writing-challenge-animated-gifs-highschool-hijinks-or-polictical-cartoons-of-the-new-millenium/
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My thoughts :- http://honestpuck.wordpress.com/2012/11/28/animated-gifs-junk-or-art/
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