Summarize this article in one sentence.
Make a folder on your computer, containing the images you want to animate. Each image will be a separate frame of the animation. Alternatively, you can convert a short video into an animated GIF. There are many free online GIF generators, including imgflip, makeagif, and gifmaker. These do not have as many features as GIMP or other image-editing software, but can be used quickly and easily without any downloads or registration. If you are making a GIF from a video file, you probably want to select a small portion of the video, instead of uploading the whole thing. You can easily do this for free by downloading VLC, then following these instructions:  Open VLC, then use File → Open File... to open the video file. Find the beginning of the segment you want to turn into a GIF. Select Playback → Record in the top menu. Play the video until the segment you want to "GIF-ify" is over. Press Record again to stop the recording. The new, smaller file is now saved in the same folder as the original video. Look for an Upload Images link. If you are converting a video, look for an Upload Video link instead. Video upload may take a long time if your internet connection is slow or the video file is large. Uploading no more than a few seconds of video is recommended. These online tools usually let you change the order of the images in the GIF, in case you uploaded them in the wrong order. You may also be able to add text, change the size of the images, and set the animation speed. Look for a Generate GIF, create your gif, pr Create Now link. Your images or video will be turned into a GIF animation. Usually, a list of available options will show up, including links to post the GIF in forums, download it, or embed it in an HTML web page.

Summary:
Choose a series of images or a video. Visit an online GIF generator. Cut out a video segment (optional). Upload the images or video. Edit the GIF. Create your GIF.