From: Philip Jonkers (philosophimur@dygo.com)
Date: Sun 18 May 2003 - 14:30:56 GMT
Wade:
>The performance model does not accept any other existence to a meme
>other than the moments of its activity. (And thus it does not accept
>any supernatural existence in more than two places at once, which the
>memeinthemind model demands.)
Supernatural existence, more than two places at once... stop it,
you're giving me the shivers Wade. I think one should
differentiate between a meme in the mind and a meme in the behavior/performance. The former has
algorithmic properties (a string of instructions on how to execute
the meme, or a scheme of semantics to state the meaning of the meme),
the latter has executive properties (a program of behaviors needed
to express the meme). The memes are related to eachother by their
function and meaning, but they are not quite the same thing though.
>In the case of an artifact, we have a performer within a venue, a
>physical result, and an observer who needs to be within the same venue,
>or the artifact will be culturally evolutionarily impotent.
I take it from this that you've never heard of a thing called
`reverse engineering' Wade. In short, RE is about reconstructing
a product with all its functional bells and whistles solely based
on having the product in ones hands. There are whole armies of engineers
devoted especially for this purpose. The rationale is simple.
Suppose a competitor comes up with a really nice technological
invention. Since you don't have the blueprints but would do like
to be able to manufacture that highly lucrative gadget all you
are left with is the product itself.
As the company's chief executive, what's your next move?
Well, after an intensive brain-storming meeting or two with the
rest of the company's board you come to the conclusion
that having a team of really proficient engineers skilled in the
art/science of reverse engineering would be darn convenient.
Phil
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