Not really. A meme is actually a unit of social evolution (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme). The language changes CJ and I have been railing about are memes. Richard Dawkins, who originated it, used the term to refer to any cultural entity (such as a song, an idea or a religion) that an observer might consider a replicator.
Although the concept is so vaguely understood that there really is no precise meaning (which means we could both be right!), as I understand it, just passing from person to person isn't what makes something a meme. It has to actually propagate ... if we all do the "five things 'meme' " one week, and we all do the "what luxuries do you have 'meme' " another week, and then they vanish from sight forever, I don't think that's truly a meme, the way a newly coined word or a new song can be a meme. A meme spreads around the population as opposed to passing through it -- a meme is dye dropped into the water as opposed to a pebble that makes a temporary spreading ripple.
It's arguable whether or not the so-called "memes" I mentioned really are memes, but a link to a quiz -- which is often referred to as a meme simply because it spreads around the blogosphere -- is definitely not a meme. There's no real idea or concept there -- just a fun pastime. If a coined word is dye dropped into the bowl, and the "memes" in the preceding paragraphs are the ripples caused by a pebble, then I would liken a link to a quiz as a finger briefly touching the surface of the water and being withdrawn. Just because a brief disturbance spreads on the surface doesn't mean there's anything there.
That's the way I understand it, but it's a slippery idea and your mileage may vary. But whether the blogosphere's use of meme was originally correct or not, it's in common use now and dictionaries are all descriptive these days, so that will soon be the correct meaning. Which is delightfully recursive when you think about it: In the true sense of the word, meme is a meme!
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Although the concept is so vaguely understood that there really is no precise meaning (which means we could both be right!), as I understand it, just passing from person to person isn't what makes something a meme. It has to actually propagate ... if we all do the "five things 'meme' " one week, and we all do the "what luxuries do you have 'meme' " another week, and then they vanish from sight forever, I don't think that's truly a meme, the way a newly coined word or a new song can be a meme. A meme spreads around the population as opposed to passing through it -- a meme is dye dropped into the water as opposed to a pebble that makes a temporary spreading ripple.
It's arguable whether or not the so-called "memes" I mentioned really are memes, but a link to a quiz -- which is often referred to as a meme simply because it spreads around the blogosphere -- is definitely not a meme. There's no real idea or concept there -- just a fun pastime. If a coined word is dye dropped into the bowl, and the "memes" in the preceding paragraphs are the ripples caused by a pebble, then I would liken a link to a quiz as a finger briefly touching the surface of the water and being withdrawn. Just because a brief disturbance spreads on the surface doesn't mean there's anything there.
That's the way I understand it, but it's a slippery idea and your mileage may vary. But whether the blogosphere's use of meme was originally correct or not, it's in common use now and dictionaries are all descriptive these days, so that will soon be the correct meaning. Which is delightfully recursive when you think about it: In the true sense of the word, meme is a meme!
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