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AnonTechie [soylentnews.org] writes:

Why you should not use GIFs to communicate science:
In the age of listicles, the life of a science journalist gets harder and harder. Explaining research clearly and accurately while holding onto readers' attention has never been easy. Doing so when there is a BuzzFeed quiz in the next tab can seem almost impossible. So if you can't beat them, should you join them ? The temptation to sex up science articles with attention-grabbing gimmicks has never been greater. On the face of it, it even looks like a good idea: flashy GIFs break up blocks of text, add flavour and humour, and keep the reader reading. But what does science have to say about this tactic ? Journalists are not the first group of professional communicators to give in to the siren song of shiny graphics. Teachers and other educators have tried to spice up dry lectures with all sorts of flashy tactics over the years. During my own education, I have seen colleagues fight biomedical rap battles and had chemically-propelled soda bottles launched at my head.
http://theconversation.com/why-you-should-not-use- gifs-to-communicate-science-26536 [theconversation.com]

In Defense of GIFs in Science Writing
University of Oxford PhD student Andrew Bissette recently published a diatribe against the Internet's favorite form of looping media, arguing that science writers should not use GIFs to explain science. He's wrong. His heart is in the right place. His argument is even halfway sound. But he's wrong.
http://io9.com/in-defense-of-gifs-in-science-writi ng-1574543444/+robertsorokanich [io9.com]

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