It's not maturity you're seeing; it's long-time Linux use. We all grew so accustom to keeping libgif off our computers, we just kept right on configuring it out of our compiled apps even after that whole LZW affair ended.

One day, mark my words, MNG will take off and all browsers will support it. And on that day, my friend, this forum will join the rest of the Internet in substituting stupid, annoying, blinking, inane animations for actual communication. To that glorious future!