Go Memes

[skydyr]

The idea of a meme was originally as a cultural or other learned trait that is seen as analogous to a gene. An example might be a given feature of a particular religion or, say, the idea that you should wash your hands after going to the bathroom. Successful memes propogate themselves in a presumably evolutionary manner, where traits granted by the memes make them more or less likely to be passed on to new people. In the handwashing example, it may successfully propogate because people think they get sick less frequently. The actual facts of the matter are less relevant unless they actively prevent transmission, as because people are getting sick or dying. Memes in this sense can be helpful or harmful, but only need to continue to transfer to new people and stick around in old carriers to maintain existence. Originally, this was meant as a relatively serious way to think about culture, ideas, and cultural progress or change. Memes could be seen as being in competition with one another for minds with the survival of the fittest culling the unsuccessful ones. A given meme can also be seen to evolve as it is imperfectly transmitted.

As an example, I remember reading one article about a woman who always made baked ham by cutting off the end of the ham before baking it. She finally grew curious about this step, and asked her mother, who said that's how she always made it to do it right, just like her own mother. So the woman asked her grandmother about the practice, and got a straight answer, that she cut the end off to fit the ham in her small oven. The meme of cutting the end off survived even as it lost its original purpose. You can also see the evolution of them with the "10 bajillion words for snow in Eskimo" thing which doesn't even make sense, since Inuit languages don't have the same concept of words that we do, and has a history of increasing in size with every repetition. Early examples claimed maybe 25, and then nearly 50. Another example is the meaning of "meme", as seen below.

This phrase and idea spread through the armchair experts of the internet in the 90s, and came to specify to some degree any idea, fad or subcultural bit that comes to prominence (perhaps for no clear reason), like the "All your base are belong to us" phrase around 2000 or 2001, which is the first one I remember clearly. People would put this phrase on images they found humorously appropriate, and extend them in similar but novel ways. Lolcats are another example of this: an image of a cat, possibly odd in some way, with a hopefully humorous catchphrase or caption on it.

Through this, the word "meme" spread and specified to refer more specifically to the cutesy phrase on an image that's designed to make people want to share it, and now we have the examples in this thread.

[Bill Spight]

Alpha-plus nerd: Yeah, Biff is more her speed.

[Unusedname]

Found this one on reddit

[judicata]

I had forgotten about the "Get Strong at..." parodies, but I suppose that could be considered a meme originating from go culture:

http://senseis.xmp.net/?GetStrongAtGoParodies

[Bonobo]

I had forgotten about the "Get Strong at..." parodies, but I suppose that could be considered a meme originating from go culture:

http://senseis.xmp.net/?GetStrongAtGoParodies

Thanks for the reminder, judicata … I wonder, though, why there are so many cover pictures missing

[hyperpape]

Aside from the generation gap, I could picture you only communicating in memes, DrStraw.

Now I am really confused.

As an aside, I ask for feedback from my students. One of the questions yesterday was "What is the best think about this course?" One student's reply: the instructor looks like Einstein. So would Einstein communicate in memes? (I don't think I do look like him, by the way.)

Memes convey a recognizable point of view or joke quickly. They either hit their target or misfire quickly. Seems to fit your posts.

[joellercoaster]

I had forgotten about the "Get Strong at..." parodies, but I suppose that could be considered a meme originating from go culture:

http://senseis.xmp.net/?GetStrongAtGoParodies

"When the samurai verifies the presence of his head during fight, the dragon smiles."

[Bonobo]

This is just too good not to share here, via Go Oyunu’s post on FB.

Think Twice.jpg (38.12 KiB) Viewed 11082 times

The pictured player is Emre Bektore 1k, Turkey (European Go Database player card).

[Abyssinica]

[leichtloeslich]

Not really a go meme, but somewhat related.

typical_l19_thread.png (64.53 KiB) Viewed 11028 times

[skydyr]

Not really a go meme, but somewhat related.

typical_l19_thread.png

So true... *sigh*.

[Abyssinica]

[tekesta]

I've seen it elsewhere online a few times, but this should inspire all of us here to become better at baduk

[Bonobo]

Yeah, that’s one that goes around every once in a while, and I like it. Yet, there is is something about it that makes me wonder whether it could rather discourage beginners … what do you think? Because ALL beginners usually want to become masters (at least the younger ones), it’s so sad to see people quit because they can’t bear the pain of realizing that they won’t achieve mastership …

[Abyssinica]

There are too many versions of the asian father I can come up with.