Hi, Tibi, Yes and Yes! in my last articles I don't use them anymore.
But, in my very first article that took off on Medium, readers gave me a very positive feedback on the gifs. Maybe because it was trending at that moment.
So, I kept them on the articles, until receiving a few feedbacks like your, that do make sense. So, I cut off the gifs.
I didn't chance in the old articles to keep it real, (like my evolution) but I might consider reducing it.
Thanks for reading and for your feedback. You are definitely allowed to share any feedback that you may have, they are always very helpful.
Cheers!