RE: virus: Checksums for Faithfulness of Memes

anonymous (anon@ou.edu)
Wed, 23 Apr 1997 12:58:08 -0500


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On Tue, 22 Apr 1997, James Wright wrote:
Could we use something . . . to ensure that memes transmit more =
faithfully and mutate slower?=20

anonymous replies:
First, attribute the meme to another whether to God or the authorities =
or custom or simply one's superior or predecessor. This implies that the =
person speaking is merely relaying the idea and thus prompts the hearer =
to do the same. It also implies that the speaker by merely relaying the =
idea does not have the right to change it and thus neither does the =
hearer.

Second, attribute some degree of sacredness or moral imperative to the =
idea such that to disagree with it and by implication to deviate from it =
is wrong or dangerous or disgusting. Examples of this are the memes that =
slavery is wrong, that Jesus is divine, or that eating meat is wrong.

I'd be really annoyed if the meme I sent was "I need a wrench" and the =
meme my six-year-old received was "I need a drench", and he turned a =
garden hose on me according to his understanding!

anonymous replies:
This is probably off the subject but in genealogical research there is a =
tool called a soundex which attempts to classify names by similar =
pronunciation. This aids in researching names of illiterates which were =
recorded by hand or which had multiple spellings. A variation could be =
used in analyzing some memes to determine possible original meanings.

An example is the meme: "inconsistency is the hobgoblin of little =
minds." The original was: "foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of =
little minds." This example I believe was taken from Richard Brodie's =
book Virus of the Mind.

anonymous
316 Wadsack Dr., Apt. A=20
Norman, OK 73072-7253
(405) 325-8638
anon@ou.edu
www.icok.net/~milton

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