RE: a memetic experiment- an eIe opener

From: Bruce Jones (BruceJ@nwths.com)
Date: Tue May 09 2000 - 13:52:41 BST

  • Next message: Chuck Palson: "Re: Central questions of memetics"

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    From: Bruce  Jones <BruceJ@nwths.com>
    To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
    Subject: RE: a memetic experiment- an eIe opener
    Date: Tue, 9 May 2000 07:52:41 -0500 
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    > -----Original Message-----
    > From: Chuck Palson [SMTP:cpalson@mediaone.net]
    > Subject: Re: a memetic experiment- an eIe opener
    >
    > Bruce Jones wrote:
    >
    > > Let me see if I can put a different spin on this!!
    > > If we take eie to be a new measurement tool
    >
    > I am totally lost here. I thought you started with just trying to invent a
    > new
    > word that would express a new concept of relationship. Now you tell me
    > it's a
    > measurement tool. Help!
    >
    Why not?
    Take any piece of literature, advertisement, slogan, or philosophy and
    measure it in some way to see if it is going to catch on. Advertising has
    been doing it for years with catchy little sayings... "Winston Tastes Good
    ......", "Where's the beef.", "Do It", "See the USA....", etc. What about
    "Frankly Scarlet I don't give .....", "As God is my witness, I will never
    ......", Give me Liberty or ....", "Never have so few....". These are, of
    course, very much a localized cultural thing.
    So let's take The Communist Manifesto written in 1845 in England, Mien Campf
    written in 1924, the Bible, Koran, and other religious texts that began
    being written when writing began. What makes these so strong? Obviously it
    was an emotional appeal that worked but what was (If I may keep the idea of
    an eie measurement for a while longer) the "eie index"? What was the self
    serving aspect of each of these that kept it going and lead to the things
    they became, have become, and represent?
    If this can be quantitated can we not then apply it to a business document,
    philosophy, term paper, or advertisement as a predictor of success?

    So again ....... Why not?

    Bruce Jones
    >

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