virus: Bastard Son of Virus

Tim Rhodes (proftim@speakeasy.org)
Fri, 14 Feb 1997 12:30:11 -0800 (PST)


On Mon, 10 Feb 1997, Peter Charlot wrote:

(clip)
> In turn these meta-memes interact as distinct individuals with
> other meta-memes, forming ever larger groups until there exists the single
> homo-sapien "consciousness" who looks out across the universe wondering if
> there is an inter-stellar E-mail group it could correspond with.

Interesting. I was thinking the other day, that one could view a
newsgroup as an analog to a personality. Both being made up of competing
and complimentary parts working together (most of the time, but not
without internal conflicts cropping up). Sort of a meta-system of
personalities. If this is true, we should be able to shed light on the
interactions of memes and meta-memes within individuals by studying the way
people move from newsgroup to newsgroup and the factors that influence
their decisions to post or lurk.

Thoughts?

-Prof. Tim