How to create a GIF animation

Found a useful link:
http://www.howtogeek.com/72084/convert-youtube-videos-to-animated-gifs-the-easy-way-no-photoshop/

Recommended free(open source) photo editors

Two of them are Gimp and Photofilter. From what I've read, Gimp is as good as Photoshop. Its main drawback is that is not as easy to use as Photofilter. Otherwise it's a powerful tool.

Best Free (open Source) Video Editors

Virtual Dub seems highly recommended by most experts. Then there's Pinnacle's free VideoSpin, although this editor offers many tools that require a fee. In it's basic form is probably as good as Windows MovieMaker, which is also free. Avidemux seems a good alternative too. And last but not least there is VideoPad.