Animated GIFs don't animate?

[Brangwen]

Fellow Members:

I maintain a 6-7-page web site. I use animated GIFs. I have two questions about these temperamental little animations, to wit:

1. I utilize Netscape composer for updating my web site. I have two monitors on my desktop thanks to a Matrox graphics card. While working (for example on my web site) I will usually have Internet Explorer open on the monitor to my left, and Netscape on the monitor to my right. (I do this in order that I may collect graphics and/or refer to tutorials on Internet Explorer while making changes with the Netscape composer on the other monitor.)

After I have completed a page, I (obviously) upload it to a server to check it out. The animated GIFs -- for reasons unknown to me -- do not animate on either of my browsers. How come? Is there some setting on my browsers that require adjusting? My wife will look at the very same page in the next room on her computer (IE) and the animated GIFs are animating away!

Also, if I put together just one-page (for example I take the page and put an "htm" or "html" suffix on it just to see what it looks like viewing it through a browser, the GIFs animate. Again -- if I upload the very same page the GIFs do not animate!


2. Again regarding so-called animated GIFs: why is it that sometimes animated GIFs animate inconsistently? In other words, when first uploaded to the server the GIFs animate as they should. A day later some no longer do so.. then perhaps the following day, some are animating again! How come?

I would certainly appreciate answers -- any reasonable explanations -- that you fine members can provide me. This does get a tad frustrating though it can also be a lot of fun.

Brangwen

PS: On my wife's computer, I'm fairly certain the Star of David GIF Avatar (under my name on left) animates, but not on my browsers! Does it on yours?

[no1_vern]

hm, For IE6, go
tools>Internet options>Advanced>In the settings box verify that Multimedia selection "Play animations on web pages" is selected.

I dont know about Netscape but Im willing to bet that there is a multimedia selection setting somewhere that you will need to set to play the animation.

[Brangwen]

no1_vern:

Hmm . . . already enabled.

Thx anyway.

Brangwen

[RedFury]

It's in the way that the Gif saves the animation, by culling unnessary data to save space, sometimes you'll see part of the image remain in the animation once it's posted online, but wasn't there when you made it on your computer.

I've noticed that some of the options for Animated Gif's warn that the online version may not work in all browsers ( must be due to browser image compression, etc ).

[joci]

Brangwen:

I had the same exact problem as you. I fixed the problem by turning of "ad blocking" in Zone Alarm...

Hopefully this helps!
-Joci

[DanGrease]

I am almost 100% sure this is a Zone Alarm issue. If you have the box 'Animation' checked in privacy, it will block all animations in the web. By default this is turned on when you turn on ad and pop-up blocker. Simply uncheck the box and the problem is fixed. Had this problem myself, and didnt know what caused it, but after a month or so I discovered it was ZA fault.


dan