Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id JAA13887 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Tue, 12 Feb 2002 09:34:51 GMT Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2002 01:29:05 -0800 Message-Id: <200202120929.g1C9T51k031466@mail25.bigmailbox.com> X-Authentication-Warning: mail25.bigmailbox.com: www set sender to joedees@addall.com using -f Content-Type: text/plain Content-Disposition: inline Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary X-Mailer: MIME-tools 4.104 (Entity 4.116) X-Originating-Ip: [65.80.162.88] From: "Joe Dees" <joedees@addall.com> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: RE: Abstractism Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk('binary' encoding is not supported, stored as-is)
> Vincent Campbell <v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk> "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> RE: AbstractismDate: Fri, 8 Feb 2002 12:31:38 -0000
>Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>
>Hi Joe,
>
> <And it does that because it was engineered to do that by the
>writer. Not just any meaning. Specifically intended meanings.>
>
>
> And you of all people on this list should be aware that the intended
>meaning is not necessarily the meaning taken by the user. Indeed, one would
>have to look for memes in texts not in terms of particular meanings, but in
>the potential for meaning, with the things that persist most being those
>that successfully offer a multitude of interpretations. There's a really
>good book by John Turney that explores the relationship between the
>Frankenstein story and the development of medical science, and public
>attitudes to such (it's called 'Frankenstein's Footsteps'). Whatever the
>original intent of Shelley, "Frankenstein" has been co-opted time and again,
>most recently in the 'Frankenstein foods' term used to denote GMOs.
>
> I don't know who originated the phrase, perhaps you do, but there's
>this idea of the 'semiotic machine' of texts (and ambiguous events) that
>enable multiple interpretations that, in memetic terms, enhances their
>transmission- Frankenstein, Dracula, Jack the Ripper, the Roswell Incident
>etc. etc.
>
The fact that a reader may extract a different meaning from a text than the writer intended to imbue it with does not change the fact that the writer specifically intended a meaning. Also, the very fact that the text can be READ, that is, that a person can DECODE a meaningful message at all according to a shared linguistic system, entails that a meaningful message was CODED there by a WRITER in that system, even if it does not communicate with high fidelity.
>
> Vincent
>--
>The University of Stirling is a university established in Scotland by
>charter at Stirling, FK9 4LA. Privileged/Confidential Information may
>be contained in this message. If you are not the addressee indicated
>in this message (or responsible for delivery of the message to such
>person), you may not disclose, copy or deliver this message to anyone
>and any action taken or omitted to be taken in reliance on it, is
>prohibited and may be unlawful. In such case, you should destroy this
>message and kindly notify the sender by reply email. Please advise
>immediately if you or your employer do not consent to Internet email
>for messages of this kind. Opinions, conclusions and other
>information in this message that do not relate to the official
>business of the University of Stirling shall be understood as neither
>given nor endorsed by it.
>
>
>===============================================================
>This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
>Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
>For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
>see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
------------------------------------------------------------
Looking for a book? Want a deal? No problem AddALL!
http://www.addall.com compares book price at 41 online stores.
===============================================================
This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Tue Feb 12 2002 - 09:58:18 GMT