virus: What makes memes compete?

Dave Pape (davepape@dial.pipex.com)
Wed, 9 Apr 1997 23:44:06 +0100 (BST)


What makes ideas compete with each other? Is it another of these crazy
post-modern "all things are defined by their context" sort of thing, whereby
memes A and B "disagree" because their associated memes, or their sub-memes,
disagree? But that's only pushing the problem back.

Looking for an ecological analogy...

Foxes eating rabbits? But for any pair of fox and rabbit there may be
situations in which the fox will eat the rabbit and situations in which it
won't. So... erm... oh fer fuckssake, I'm floundering like a beached fish here.

Hamming Space!

I've heard a couple of references to Hamming Space now, which is one of
these Spaces, only it's one where all possible concepts are represented, and
the nearness in Hamming Space of two concepts depends on how many elements
they have in common.

Yeh well cool, but is "not in common" the same as "in actual conflict with"?

Ten pounds sterling for the memeticist who describes, neurally or in terms
of ideas animals eating/grooming/shagging each other, how memes actually
agree/disagree.

Sorry, this one's been doing my nut in for days.

PS I've moved house, I'm a bit stressed at work (exhibiting as excema
outbreak), and I don't seem to have any leisure time any more. Me not
picking up on posts isn't to do with me losing interest, just me losing grip
on the threads.

Dave Pape
==========================================================================
Always bet on the guy with the spine.

Phonecalls: 0118 9583727 Phights: 20 Armadale Court
Westcote Road
Reading RG30 2DF