lindstifa:

luckyshirt:

Hey kids,

I’m updating one of my lectures to include a discussion about memes, and I’d REALLY love to get your input on the subject.

I want to present the spectrum of opinions about the relevance, value and appropriateness of memes. If you could take a moment to add a comment here, I’d really appreciate it.

What specifically do you like or dislike about memes (on Twitter and Tumblr)?

My students will probably read this, so please don’t say anything about that one thing I did that one time. Never mind; they’re college students…

Cheers.

I hate memes. I can’t stand them. And yet I participate, at times with abandon.

I’ll jump in on regular memes with one or two posts of my own from time to time (Sarah Palin was a fun one), but otherwise they jut bug me. They flood my Twitter stream with semi-original content that is more interesting to the poster than it is to me. I don’t usually participate in follow Friday.  If I like you I’ll tell you by following you and giving you lots of gold stars. If I find an underrepresented follow-worthy Tweeter, I’ll tell you about it when I realize their value and not just because it’s what’s done on Fridays.

I don’t like the lengthy Facbook “50 questions” memes, either. I don’t care what color your toenails are painted, what you had for breakfast, or who the last person you spoke to on the phone was.  They do not refine the picture I have of you in my head. They do not change how I imagine you to be.

I do like some memes, namely the Tumblr ones. I like learning more about people through gratuitous pictures on some theme, or from the “7 things you don’t know about me”. This adds to the experience for me as a follower and it deepens our internet friendship (imagined or real).

Posting a picture of yourself as a child and recounting your memory of the event gives me insight into your character. It’s the back-story to your narrative voice as heard on Twitter. I like discovering common ground where I didn’t think I’d find it. That’s why we’re on Twitter to begin with, right?

That is all.

Hearts and stars,

Lindstifa

PS I like you.

Curiously, this is exactly how I feel about memes too! Small world