Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id PAA15186 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Tue, 9 May 2000 15:38:47 +0100 From: "Richard Brodie" <richard@brodietech.com> To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Subject: RE: a memetic experiment- an eIe opener Date: Tue, 9 May 2000 07:36:33 -0700 Message-ID: <NBBBIIDKHCMGAIPMFFPJAEJPEMAA.richard@brodietech.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 (Normal) X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook IMO, Build 9.0.2416 (9.0.2911.0) X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2919.6600 Importance: Normal In-Reply-To: <3916F743.78505473@mediaone.net> Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Chuck wrote:
<<Richard - I don't want to say it outright for pedagogical reasons, but
what
do you suppose tight little subcultures do to stay tight? :) Clue: why did
nonsensical grammatical rules become the obsession of the emerging middle
class in the 18th century?>>
I'm guessing that your implication is that "staying tight" == "utility".
Why? No one would argue that all memes have some EFFECT, even a tiny one.
But is having an effect the same as being useful? Useful to who? What
memetics says is that memes evolve to have effects that are useful TO THE
MEME.
Richard Brodie richard@brodietech.com
http://www.memecentral.com/rbrodie.htm
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