I agree with Paul here. Words are plastic in that the history of word meanings
is a science in itself. And many of our disagreements (or seeming
disagreements) have seemed to me to do with this nature of language.
We scrubbed the word faith a while back.... I have no wish to reprise that
discussion. Connotations of words are even more plastic. Often I can get an
inkling of a person's age in email discussions based simply on how they use
words or which words offend etc.
I am not stomping Brett here, as I think we all use this forum to help hone our
own ideas and I am willing at least to try to understand the person's
direction. However, I simply do not have the time to sort through complex and
esoteric splitting of hairs.
A virus is a good analogy for a meme. A virus (as I understand it) has a
'hook' in that it must find a way to enter a cell to commandeer the
reproductive mechanism for itself. From my reading, diabolic could be a
definition used if one thought that a virus had any intentions.... A thought
can hook someone and start them thinking in a whole different direction. This
was what happened when I started thinking about the memetic analogy.
But analogies are only approximations. So for that reason there is some
latitude for discussions around fine tuning our ideas. But, I for one, am more
interested in what people do than what they think. Perhaps this is a measure
of my age...
I for one really appreciate David for taking the time to do the web site and
for putting up with all of us on a daily basis ;0)
I appreciate Richard for taking the time to write his books. I do not agree
with all he has said, but I admire the fact that he is published. Hard to get
that way in this day and age.
So, David. How are you progressing on this project? Anything I can do to
help? And Richard, keep your newsletter coming my way. I enjoy the humor.
Especially, the Microsoft jokes.
Marie
Paul Prestopnik wrote:
> > From: Kim Stogner[SMTP:KASTOGN@vm.sc.edu]
> > Sent: Friday, January 23, 1998 1:26 PM
> > To: church of virus
> > Subject: Re: virus: interactive meme page project
> >
> > I agree with Brett that we should form our own opinions about the
> > meaning of certain terms. Why strictly hold to someone else's
> definition? Isn't
> > free thought about thinking for yourself?
>
> Free thought is about thinking for yourself. That does not mean you have
> to have your own definitions for words. Imagine if you had a friend and
> every time they said car they meant chair, when they said phone they meant
> computer, etc. Now imagine trying to have a conversation with that person.
> Would you say they were being a free thinker, or just a pain in the ass?
> Communication cannot exist unless there is some agreement on what the
> noises (or symbols) we make mean. This involves compromise, and it seems
> to be the hardest thing in the world for many people to do. With regards
> to communication it is usually the best practice to use the most common or
> most well established definition for a word. If you have a new concept
> communication would be best serviced by using a new word or phrase to
> describe it. If I am correct Richard Dawkins coined the word meme in the
> 70's. His original meaning is no longer 100% correct, because the word has
> undergone some revision, but the concept is very similar. The word meme
> has been used to represent Dawkins meaning now for 20+ years (I think), and
> if Brett wants to call something else a meme, all he is doing is confusing
> new comers who do not understand what is meant. This does not necessarily
> represent free thinking, although Brett certainly is a free thinker.
>
> -Paul Prestopnik
>
>
> -Paul Prestopnik
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