Get Affordable VMs - excellent virtual server hosting


browse words by letter
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

meme

meme


  2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Jargon  File  (4.2.3,  23  NOV  2000)  [jargon]: 
 
  meme  /meem/  n.  [coined  by  analogy  with  `gene',  by  Richard 
  Dawkins]  An  idea  considered  as  a  {replicator},  esp.  with  the  connotation 
  that  memes  parasitize  people  into  propagating  them  much  as  viruses  do 
  Used  esp.  in  the  phrase  `meme  complex'  denoting  a  group  of  mutually 
  supporting  memes  that  form  an  organized  belief  system,  such  as  a  religion. 
  This  lexicon  is  an  (epidemiological)  vector  of  the  `hacker  subculture' 
  meme  complex;  each  entry  might  be  considered  a  meme.  However,  `meme' 
  is  often  misused  to  mean  `meme  complex'.  Use  of  the  term  connotes 
  acceptance  of  the  idea  that  in  humans  (and  presumably  other  tool-  and 
  language-using  sophonts)  cultural  evolution  by  selection  of  adaptive  ideas 
  has  superseded  biological  evolution  by  selection  of  hereditary  traits. 
  Hackers  find  this  idea  congenial  for  tolerably  obvious  reasons. 
 
 
 
  From  The  Free  On-line  Dictionary  of  Computing  (13  Mar  01)  [foldoc]: 
 
  meme 
 
    /meem/  [By  analogy  with  "gene"]  Richard  Dawkins's 
  term  for  an  idea  considered  as  a  {replicator},  especially  with 
  the  connotation  that  memes  parasitise  people  into  propagating 
  them  much  as  viruses  do 
 
  Memes  can  be  considered  the  unit  of  cultural  evolution.  Ideas 
  can  evolve  in  a  way  analogous  to  biological  evolution.  Some 
  ideas  survive  better  than  others  ideas  can  mutate  through 
  for  example,  misunderstandings;  and  two  ideas  can  recombine  to 
  produce  a  new  idea  involving  elements  of  each  parent  idea. 
 
  The  term  is  used  especially  in  the  phrase  "meme  complex" 
  denoting  a  group  of  mutually  supporting  memes  that  form  an 
  organised  belief  system,  such  as  a  religion.  However,  meme" 
  is  often  misused  to  mean  "meme  complex". 
 
  Use  of  the  term  connotes  acceptance  of  the  idea  that  in  humans 
  (and  presumably  other  tool-  and  language-using  sophonts) 
  cultural  evolution  by  selection  of  adaptive  ideas  has  become 
  more  important  than  biological  evolution  by  selection  of 
  hereditary  traits.  Hackers  find  this  idea  congenial  for 
  tolerably  obvious  reasons. 
 
  See  also  {memetic  algorithm}. 
 
  [{Jargon  File}] 
 
  (1996-08-11)