gif optimisation

[.:kerrod:.]

hey, i want to make this gif into my avatar (i know it's crappy, but oh well, i still want it) but the filesize is too big...how can i reduce that?

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/7428/avatartrial.gif

[Rantz]

Since GIF is a lossless format and it's over 4 times the maximum file size, I'm pretty sure it can't be done without completely mutilating it.

[rubah]

not using dithering will knock it down a little, but you need to restart with the original frames to do that. (gif is stored as horizontal lines, so each time you change something in a line, it adds to the filesize)
if you can knock out half the frames, that will help some. (half = whatever number will still get the idea of the gif across)