> Very well put. Although the little conversations going on in here are
> interesting and I have enjoyed participating in them, I too am eager to
> get a real discussion of memetics started in addition to the current
> phenomenon of simply using a set of kewl new words as an innovative way
> of advocating very personal and subjective beliefs of what is right or
> wrong with the world. Anyone else?
You are right. We must use the word as the word was intended, not as
just kewl new term...
"A meme is a unit of information in a mind whose existance influences
events such that more copies of itself get created in other minds."
(Richard Brodie, Virus of the Mind, pg.32)
that is, a meme is a specific *type* of idea, one which is
self-propagating. Any other use of the word is *abuse*[1].
ERiC
[1] thanks to wade for reminding me of this word