Group 2: Leo F., Jiho J., Andrea M., Mark T.

Group Name
None specified.

Group Members
Leo F., Jiho J., Andrea M., Mark T.

Topic Abstract
The topic presented on this wiki page is an evaluation of how internet memes affect our culture today. Areas covered include the explanation of what a meme is, the many uses of memes on the internet, and an evaluation of selected memes in fulfilling their individual purposes.

Technology Examined
The main technology involved in this investigation is the internet. Secondary technologies investigated include internet mediums, such as video uploading/viewing sites and social networking sites.

Internet Memes: What are they?
A meme (pronounced mEEm), according to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English language, is “A unit of cultural information, such as a cultural practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another.”(1)  In today’s fast-paced world of internet-based social-networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter; instant message; and, blogs; memes can be propagated virally and quickly from user-to-user. Because internet memes are a fairly new phenomena, its definition can be applied to the form the meme is in; the purpose the meme is to serve, or the nature of its viral phenomenon.

What is not an Internet Meme?
Given the above definition, news stories, video games and other organized communication methods can be interpreted as an internet meme. However, there is a general understanding by the internet user community that the internet meme does not consist of content/internet services that are legitimate, professional, non-faddish/unpopular, or spread through syndication/organized distribution services. This therefore negates actual news, video games, web services, music by represented musical groups, and other legally represented factions’ works as an internet meme.

History
Because the classification of a meme can be considered a neologism(2), one can infer that the internet meme has been around since the introduction of the internet as a communication vehicle. Further examination reveals that one of the first considered internet memes, the emoticon, was introduced to the Carnegie Mellon computer science community by one Scott E. Falman (3,4). However, it was not until the mid-1990’s that the spread of internet memes was popularized; a particular one the infamous Dancing Baby (5). Nowadays, with the advent of YouTube and MySpace, internet memes can be generated by anyone with access to a computer, as evidenced by the popularity of RickRolling (6) and Chocolate Rain (7).

An Abridged Timeline (4)

 * 1970: "Internet"--The abbreviated word for "internetworking" can be interpreted as the first internet meme, given its use in computer network circles, such as ARPANET.
 * 1982: "Emoticon"--The first emoticon documented is sent by one Scott E. Falhman, in the form of :-).
 * 1996: "The Spirit of Christmas"--An internet cartoon short depicting three kids talking about Christmas catches the attention of Comedy Central, leading to the creation of the cartoon South Park.
 * 1996: "Dancing Baby"--a 3D render of a baby dancing circulates through email as a source file.
 * 1998: "Hampster Dance"--an HTML file of four animated GIFs of the cartoon character Hampton the Hampster with background music circulates through email.
 * 2000: "Happy Tree Friends"--a Flash cartoon series begins to play for a web audience.
 * 2004: "Numa Numa Je"--A teenager uses a webcam to record himself lip-syncing/dancing to a Moldavian techno song.
 * 2005: "Chuck Norris Facts"--Untrue but humorous facts about action film star Chuck Norris circulates the web through email and HTML sites.
 * 2006: "lonelygirl15"--what appeared to be a video blog of a teenage girl's adventures is revealed to have corporate intentions.
 * 2007: "RickRolling"--YouTube users start mis-linking videos to a music video of Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up".
 * 2008: "Pork and Beans"--A Weezer music video summarizing all internet memes in the past decade becomes an internet meme itself on YouTube.

Marketing
Entities may choose to promote themselves on the internet through the use of an internet meme. Personal websites appeared with the advent of GeoCities, AngelFire and tripod.com in the late ‘90s and early 2000s, making HTML coding easier for any user to market themselves onto the internet. Notable examples include MySpace Music pages, as well as celebrity blogs. If professional entities can keep their projects in secrecy, they may be able to employ internet memes as a form of viral marketing. Because hundreds of millions of people have access to a computer all over the world, this is a cost-effective method of generating publicity or changing public opinion. Notable examples include the pre-release marketing campaign of the film Snakes on a Plane11, as well as the BMW-sponsored film collection The Hire (12).

Inadvertent Marketing
Internet users may choose to publish often-embarrassing videos or publications of themselves or others, making themselves famous or infamous among the internet community. Such publications appeal to the public because of its context(s): dating and relationships, video game machinima/phenomena, hidden camera situations, or bizarre occurrences. Notable examples include the Bus Uncle (8) and the Numa Numa dance (9).

Urban Legend/Hoax Propagation
Internet users may also choose to exploit the internet to produce their own internet memes. Urban legends, fraudulent schemes, innuendos, fake news, and false hyperlinks are many incarnations of this application. Users are led to believe a publication is true; because it a human condition for people to propagate truth, the publication is then spread in all channels of communication and evolves into an internet meme. Notable examples include the RickRoll and bizarre online transactions, such as an eBay seller offering his kidney for $2.5 million (10).

References to Popular Culture
Internet memes may also be in the form of a popular culture reference, as a homage or a form of humor. One notable example involves the case of Leeroy Jenkins (13), a character in a World of Warcraft machinima series who conducts an ill-advised and unsuccessful charge on an enemy position. His name is now frequently associated with strategic and tactical failures of epic proportions, as detailed on the show My Name is Earl (14). Eventually this would lead to a greater effect in inadvertent marketing.

Social Networking Sites
One of the most common mediums of internet memes is social networking sites, such as FaceBook or MySpace. These sites usually consist of the user’s personal page detailing his/her preferences, and a separate page for communications such as forums, private messages or private/sponsored functions. Because social networking sites have a large audience, authors tend to choose these sites to start their projects.

Video Sharing Websites
Almost all popular internet memes in the world as of 2008 are video-based (with the exception of earlier incarnations, such as the Hamster Dance and the Dancing Baby). Henceforth, video sharing websites such as YouTube and Google Video make it easy for authors to upload their projects onto the internet for evaluation by fellow users.

Compilation Websites
Because the internet is a wide array of various content providers, certain audiences thrive on rated/reviewed material. Compilation websites such as 2channel, 4chan and eBaum’s World bear a large number of popular internet memes in which the general public would be interested in, leading to the further propagation of such memes. Forums are also a part of this genre.

Online Communication
Mimicking primitive communication methods, instant messaging and chatrooms are the equivalent of communicating through word-of-mouth on the internet. Given the use of file-sharing abilities on these applications, users can distribute internet memes amongst friends easily and efficiently.

Search Engines
Because of the nature of search engines—seen as an oracle of knowledge by the general public—users can use search engines to advertise to the general internet audience. For example, Google’s business model involves the use of marketing on its search engine by displaying “Sponsored Links” towards the right of the user’s returned search results. This allows authors to easily propagate their projects—but at a monetary price.

Internet Stardom
A standard effect in the popularization of internet memes is the public focus on its author(s); for example, in the aforementioned Numa Numa dance example, its performer Gary Brolsma was given the alias The Numa Numa Guy and references to his video appeared in various forms of popular culture. Other notable examples include “YouTube celebrities”, such as the aforementioned Tay Zonday. The longevity of public focus on meme figures is variable, depending on the cultural effect the meme has on the internet community.

Favorable Public Opinion/Sales Numbers
In the context of viral marketing, internet memes can actually increase the sales or public opinion to a certain product. For example, after the BMW film series The Hire was released, BMW’s sales numbers for 2001 increased by 12%(15).

Works Consulted

 * Wikipedia editors. (2008) Internet Memes. From Wikipedia.  Retrieved November 22, 2008 from the internet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_memes.
 * Wikipedia editors. (2008) Rickrolling.  From Wikipedia.  Retrieved November 22, 2008 from the internet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rickrolling.
 * Wikipedia editors. (2008) Dramatic Chipmunk.  From Wikipedia.  Retrieved November 22, 2008 from the internet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dramatic_Chipmunk.
 * Wikipedia editors. (2008) Hampster Dance.  From Wikipedia.  Retrieved November 22, 2008 from the internet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hampster_Dance.
 * Wikipedia editors. (2008) Dancing baby.  From Wikipedia.  Retrieved November 22, 2008 from the internet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_baby.
 * Wikipedia editors. (2008) Peanut Butter Jelly Time.  From Wikipedia.  Retrieved November 22, 2008 from the internet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_Banana#Peanut_Butter_Jelly_Time.
 * Wikipedia editors. (2008) Cloverfield.  From Wikipedia.  Retrieved November 22, 2008 from the internet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloverfield.
 * Wikipedia editors. (2008) All your base belong to us.  From Wikipedia.  Retrieved November 22, 2008 from the internet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_your_base_are_belong_to_us.
 * Wikipedia editors. (2008) Leeroy Jenkins.  From Wikipedia.  Retrieved November 22, 2008 from the internet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leeroy_Jenkins.
 * Wikipedia editors. (2008) Here it Goes Again.  From Wikipedia.  Retrieved November 22, 2008 from the internet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Here_It_Goes_Again.
 * Wikipedia editors. (2008) Chocolate Rain.  From Wikipedia.  Retrieved November 22, 2008 from the internet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate_Rain.
 * Wikipedia editors. (2008) Coke and Mentos.  From Wikipedia.  Retrieved November 22, 2008 from the internet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diet_Coke_and_Mentos.
 * Wikipedia editors. (2008) Evolution of Dance.  From Wikipedia.  Retrieved November 22, 2008 from the internet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judson_Laipply.
 * Wikipedia editors. (2008) Numa Numa.  From Wikipedia.  Retrieved November 22, 2008 from the internet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numa_Numa.
 * Wikipedia editors. (2008) Chuck Norris Facts.  From Wikipedia.  Retrieved November 22, 2008 from the internet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Norris_Facts.
 * Wikipedia editors. (2008) Bus Uncle.  From Wikipedia.  Retrieved November 22, 2008 from the internet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bus_Uncle.
 * Wikipedia editors. (2008) Chris Crocker.  From Wikipedia.  Retrieved November 22, 2008 from the Internet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Crocker_(Internet_celebrity).
 * Wikipedia editors. (2008) lonelygirl15.  From Wikipedia.  Retrieved November 22, 2008 from the Internet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonelygirl15.
 * Wikipedia editors. (2008) Tourist Guy.  From Wikipedia.  Retrieved November 22, 2008 from the Internet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourist_Guy.
 * Wikipedia editors. (2008) 4chan.  From Wikipedia.  Retrieved November 22, 2008 from the Internet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4chan.
 * Wikipedia editors. (2008) eBaum's World.  From Wikipedia.  Retrieved November 22, 2008 from the Internet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EBaum%27s_World.
 * Wikipedia editors. (2008) Facebook.  From Wikipedia.  Retrieved November 22, 2008 from the Internet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook.
 * Wikipedia editors. (2008) MySpace.  From Wikipedia.  Retrieved November 22, 2008 from the Internet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MySpace.
 * Wikipedia editors. (2008) YouTube.  From Wikipedia.  Retrieved November 22, 2008 from the Internet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube.
 * Wikipedia editors. (2008) Second Life. From Wikipedia.  Retrieved November 22, 2008 from the Internet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Life.
 * Wikipedia editors. (2008) Tay Zonday.  From Wikipedia.  Retrieved November 22, 2008 from the Internet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tay_Zonday.
 * Wikipedia editors. (2008) Meme.  From Wikipedia.  Retireved November 22, 2008 from the Internet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme.