Re: memetics/memics/mimetics

From: Keith Henson (hkhenson@rogers.com)
Date: Mon 26 Jan 2004 - 14:45:16 GMT

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    At 07:09 AM 26/01/04 -0500, jeremy wrote:
    > >> every few months somebody comes in here and for some
    > >> reason tries to redefine "meme." I or someone else
    > >> generally pipes up, if only for the record.
    >
    >Given the current displeasure about definitions, I have to ask: Which version
    >is more correct for the study of infectious ideas, "memetics" (as has become
    >the convention),

    137,000 hits on Google. Adding "meme" brings it down to 21,700 Category: Science > Biology > Sociobiology > Memetics

    >"memics" (after Dawkins, 1986/1991, p.158),

    68 hits on Google, most of them not related to memes.

    >or "mimetics"
    >(after Dawkins, 1976, p.192)?

    18,400 hits. But adding "meme" drops it to 274 (many of which look very interesting)
    (Also Category: Science > Biology > Sociobiology > Memetics)

    So from usage memetics comes out ahead by on the order of 100 to one (at this time).

    Commenting on the rest of your interesting post will take more time than I have now. Will try to get to it this evening.

    Keith Henson

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