Greg Friese left a comment on my Writing Posts For Your Blog regarding Memes and still not understanding exactly what they are. So for those of you who like Greg are unsure, here’s a more in depth explanation:
The Definition Of A Meme
A meme, a relatively newly coined term, identifies ideas or beliefs that are transmitted from one person or group of people to another. The concept comes from an analogy: as genes transmit biological information, memes can be said to transmit idea and belief information.
- Meme, Wikipedia
Memes, in terms of the internet and blogging specifically, developed out of the personal blogosphere’s needs for both self-discovery and something to blog about. An internet meme is usually a set of questions or directions that the author answers or follows and then shares with his readers, most of whom are fellow bloggers as well.
Internet memes are in essence writing exercises that promote the transmission of ideas and information that can help foster and grow relationships. Some internet memes will require you to “tag” fellow bloggers who are, in theory, supposed to answer the same question or follow the same directions and “tag” yet another group of bloggers. This type of meme can find itself going viral across a blogosphere quickly and easily. Other internet memes will declare that they should be done on a specific day of the week or month and in that manner can become regular staples of a blog’s content.
My Personal Favorite Internet Memes
- One of the simplest Internet Memes, the 100 Things About Me is a simple listing of 100 facts about you. This type of meme can be done all at once, or it can be broken up into numerous posts that are finally compiled into one complete list. The complete list is often appended to a blogger’s About Me page or is a page of it’s own.
100 Things About Me
Blogger Code 2.0
This is one of the oldest internet memes and it has even had a revision. Getting your blogger code used to be a right of blogger passage, an acknowledgment that while we are full of ideas and thoughts it is ultimately code that brings us all together. It’s like knowing pig latin for the bloggerati.
- How many total songs?
- Sort by song title – first and last?
- Sort by time – shortest and longest?
- Sort by Album – first and last?
- Sort by Artist – first and last?
- Top five played songs?
- Least five played songs?
The iTunes Meme-
Go into your iTunes software and discover these little tidbits about your musical listening habits:
Wordless Wednesday
This is another relatively very simple internet meme. It requires the blogger to take a picture and post it on Wednesday. Some bloggers post photos that inspire them, but traditionally the meme requires it to be a photo that you have taken yourself.
For those who need help or inspiration, there is also Lensday that uses a word prompt for photographers to work off of for the coming week.
Related Posts:
Thanks for the explanation. Now I need to find a meme to write about.
You could break the 100 Things About Me into 10 different posts listing 10 facts or why even write? Do Wordless Wednesday with all the great scenery you run by. If neither of those appeal… there is always creating your own LOLCats…
Lots of options.
Just scheduled a post for a few days based on this Twitter Meme I say today #ifiwereGovofWi. Likely will post on Thursday.
That sounds like an interesting one.
Personally, I think he should just flee the country now. The Egyptians are backing the Wisconsians. If he thinks just ignoring the Egyptians is going to work, he should ask Mubarak and see how that worked out for him.
Just sayin’.