Create Metafilter Group: "Ban stupid Flash from the Internets"
Invite: Everybody posted by Laotic at 3:39 AM on October 16, 2008 [1 favorite]
Goddamn lolcats are going to trigger the Singularity.
Weirdly enough, I think that this is essentially what Susan Blackmore is saying. (For those in a rush, jump to about 13:00 in her TED talk.)
I believe the argument goes something like this: memes control us (not the other way around). The more complicated the memes, the more complicated we become (so language forced us to have bigger brains). Complicated internet-based memes will force us to eventually take drugs and have brain implants. This is the only path toward becoming interplanetary citizens.
Yeah... pretty weird. Lolcats throughout the universe! But I'm no expert. posted by twoleftfeet at 3:52 AM on October 16, 2008
I've erred. The first line clearly should be
I IS ESCHATON, BUT I NOES YOUR CEILING CAT. posted by eriko at 4:07 AM on October 16, 2008 [1 favorite]
I'm not so sure lolcats is going to lead to the singularity but I think she's got a point about us burning up irreplaceable recourses on plastic crap that just ends up in landfill posted by fearfulsymmetry at 4:41 AM on October 16, 2008
That timeline needs work. Garfield Without Garfield was born and spread like wildfire across LJ in 2006, for one example. posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 4:53 AM on October 16, 2008
"Complicated internet-based memes....."
I know what all the words mean, but not when you put them in this order. The joke has two moving parts and neither one moves all that much. Cats are just like in every cliche (curious, food obsessed, sleep like 98% of the time) AND they have bad grammar and spelling. If this is driving the next step in human evolution, I have to believe that natural selections has been replaced with a certificate for participation. posted by Kid Charlemagne at 5:16 AM on October 16, 2008 [4 favorites]
I liked that third link with updates to a lot of more memorable (for better or worse) internet celebrities, but unfortunately they didn't think to include the Asian Prince (he's such a rebel!). I would love to know how things are working out with the princess. posted by TedW at 5:38 AM on October 16, 2008
There was an ad by Autodesk at the end, talking about how "ideas need to be nurtured", that took on an interesting shade of meaning after the content of the talk. posted by dixie flatline at 11:04 AM on October 16, 2008
Protip: anyone talking in real life about internet memes does not know shit about internet memes. posted by Damn That Television at 12:15 PM on October 16, 2008
OH HAI I IZ CALCULATIN NINE BILLION NAMEZ OF CEILING CAT
I IS ESCHATON, BUT I NOES YOUR GOD.
IZ IS FROM YOU. IZ IS IN UR FUTURES
U NOT MESS WITH CAWSAULTIY IN MY LIGHT CONZS. SRSLY.
posted by eriko at 2:35 AM on October 16, 2008 [12 favorites]