Message-Id: <199706171035.GAA01128@brickbat8.mindspring.com>
Date: Tue, 17 Jun 1997 06:38:51 -0500
To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
From: bbenzon@mindspring.com (Bill Benzon)
Subject: RE: What does the replicating?
BB>>Note, however, if we consider CCInc and PepsiInc, we can reasonably give a
>relatively small set of coke memes and pepsi memes credit for the
>differences in output between these two large meme pools. And if we
>compare, for example, Boeing Inc. and CCInc., both a large late 20th C
>corporations and, as such, share a good many memes. But the differences
>between them are greater than the differences between CCInc and PepsiInc &
>so we'd expect greater differences in their meme pools, but just how much
>greater? If CCInc and PepsiInc share 99% of their memetic complement, what
>do CCInc and Boeing share, 70%, 80%? Do we care? Why or why not? If we do,
>how do we go about measuring these meme pools?<
>
IP>My guess would be nearer 95% at least. Both share most of the 'corporation'
>memes which have flourished in the last 100 years or so as well as the
>largely Americain strain of their linguistic and cultural heritage. Both
>have evolved fairly dominant positions in their local ecosystems. It is
>hardly measurement in a precise sense but a way into the comparison is to
>compare the 'Unwritten Rules' by which players in either corporation
>function. See my papers for more detail. Sorry this is written in a rush
>before I leave for a couple of days.
>
When I came up with those numbers out of thin air I was thinking about the
rather large differences in the R & D, design & manufacturing operations in
the beverage industry and the aircraft industry.
When you get down to it, though, I'd hate to try to make such estimates in
earnest.
William L. Benzon 201.217.1010
708 Jersey Ave. Apt. 2A bbenzon@mindspring.com
Jersey City, NJ 07302 USA http://www.newsavanna.com/wlb/
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