Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id XAA27019 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Sun, 24 Feb 2002 23:43:52 GMT Date: Sun, 24 Feb 2002 18:38:29 -0500 Subject: Re: Breath Mints: A Hot War for America's Cool Mouths Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed From: "Wade T.Smith" <wade_smith@harvard.edu> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In-Reply-To: <B89F0E8A.1EF%srdrew_1@hotmail.com> Message-Id: <9B1DD242-297F-11D6-96E9-003065B9A95A@harvard.edu> X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.481) Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
On Sunday, February 24, 2002, at 05:40 , Steve Drew wrote:
> I think it was Aaron who warned about business using memetics. Don't
> know
> if this is what he had in mind.
It is a bias of mine, and I admit it, to link 'memetic engineering' with
marketing, advertising, influence-peddling, and other forms of
brain-washing, regardless of motive.
Aaron does not proclaim that he is a 'memetic engineer', nor that he
hangs out with a group who creates memes for experimental purposes.
Lawrence does.
But, lots of people _call_ themselves memetic engineers, which they mean
as idea-spreaders. (Of course, that is just a property of a memetic idea
in the first place, its ability to spread.) The Virus list owner does.
Some rock groups do. Advertisers absolutely do. And consultants to a
plethora of market-based initiatives do. I bet multi-level marketers do.
Mary Kay would, if she were told about it....
Memetics is also being linked more and more to economics. (Not
unjustly....)
I just want 'memetic engineers' to call a spade a spade- and be known as
marketing consultants.
And unless I know more about them, that is what they are to me.
As for 'dangers', I do not accept that hypothesis. Ideas have always
been dangerous. They, like guns, do not do the actual killing. The
danger lies totally, IMHO, at the feet the person using the weapon.
Memetics is not a form of weaponry.
- Wade
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