How long would it take to spread a meme to all English speakers?: Philosophy Forums

How long would it take to spread a meme to all English speakers?

CalicoCat
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Posted 11/01/09 - 12:16 AM: Subject: How long would it take to spread a meme to all English speakers?	#1
Using modern means of communication, especially Internet, how long would it take to spread a phrase-meme worldwide to all English speakers? I got to thinking how large companies with a lot of money spend it on advertising to make their logos and slogans recognized worldwide, and I wondered if it would be possible to counter the wave of greed inspired slogan-spreading with something to oppose it, so I came up with the phrase "Compassion conquers greed" If you asked people all over the Internet to spread this phrase, like a virus, on purpose, as part of a social and language experiment, how long do you think it would take before this phrase (or any intended phrase, for that matter) became worldwide recognized and grew into a phenomenon? AND... would there be anyone on here willing to help do this? It's an intriguing proposition... but what are the chances that it would succeed, if purposefully attempted? I would love it if it was possible, because it would help restore my faith in humanity just a little bit, but I'm afraid I'm just dreaming....

kkiiji
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Posted 11/01/09 - 01:22 AM:	#2
Even if that phrase was spread to all of humanity, it would have a negative association attached to it for quite a lot of people. Or at the very least half the people saying it wouldn't really care about what it meant.
Heard joke once: Man goes to doctor. Says he's depressed. Says life seems harsh and cruel. Says he feels all alone in a threatening world where what lies ahead is vague and uncertain. Doctor says "Treatment is simple. Great clown Pagliacci is in town tonight. Go and see him. That should pick you up." Man bursts into tears. Says "But Doctor... I am Pagliacci." Good joke, everybody laugh. Roll on snare drum... Curtains.

SIR2U
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Posted 11/01/09 - 10:24 AM:	#3
By placing your idea here onP.F. you have already made contact with half of the thinking population of the world, wait and see how far it gets. And remember "Compassion conquers greed"
Unknown Alanic wiseman. "Ignorance and bad teeth have at least one thing in common. Keeping your mouth closed makes them both less obvious"

Cadrache
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Posted 11/02/09 - 02:23 PM:	#4
We're not however English Speaking on these forums... English writing however... Part of the maths problem is accounting for non-internet-possessed people as well as people-under-government-rule concept of thought police to get around. ..... ... ... Dammit! I just blew the coolness of this post by thinking that the question that started the 'written language' is the same reason why the idea behind 'psychic communication' evolved...
"...There was a writer who asked why it was that when we find positive experiences we say that only the physical facts are real, but in negative experiences we believe that reality is subjective. He made an example of those who say that in birth only the pain is real, the joy a subjective point of view, but that in death it is the emotional loss that is the reality." - Tony Ballantyne, Recursion. _____________________________________________ Truth is want. - The internal state of matters. Truth is Need. - The external state of affairs.

SIR2U
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Posted 11/02/09 - 06:30 PM:	#5
Cadrache wrote: non-internet-possessed people I really think this is a much better way to say addicted. It would be less our fault and easier to live with if we are possessed by it rather than being week people that cannot get our butts up from in front of the monitor. I all ways thought that computers were possessed by the devil, and that the internet is his masterpiece. Where is the little smiley guy with the horns???
Unknown Alanic wiseman. "Ignorance and bad teeth have at least one thing in common. Keeping your mouth closed makes them both less obvious"

Cadrache
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Posted 11/02/09 - 08:27 PM:	#6
Technically we could claim 'internet' as a null value on account that you first must have a few fundamentals of http protocol prior to being able to use english. The problem with this is that it would also possibly null all technological advances outside of the actual physical spoken word. POTS usage in all forms inclusive. Mmm.. it is rather amazing that we just assume that Speech-to-Electricity-to-Speech doesn't alter the message in any way. Maybe that's why mr. Smiley guy with horns' isn't here? Sigh... at least the internet-possessed-addiction is a mental addiction that only looks somewhat similar to schizophrenia...
"...There was a writer who asked why it was that when we find positive experiences we say that only the physical facts are real, but in negative experiences we believe that reality is subjective. He made an example of those who say that in birth only the pain is real, the joy a subjective point of view, but that in death it is the emotional loss that is the reality." - Tony Ballantyne, Recursion. _____________________________________________ Truth is want. - The internal state of matters. Truth is Need. - The external state of affairs.

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