of bats and balls
Remember playing tag chasey in the playground as a kid?
The one that’s “it” chases the rest of a group and ‘tags’ another individual by touching them who then becomes “it”. It was a good way of getting some aerobic exercise and keeping our BMI down. And it was fun if you were a voluntary participant.
[image: Steve Wampler]
Unfortunately for our BMI the game of tag chasey has moved online.
Messages are now received that indicate that I have been ‘memed’. Now, it’s stretching the point a bit to label these memes.
meme …. “a unit or element of cultural ideas, symbols or practices; such units or elements transmit from one mind to another through speech, gestures, rituals, or other imitable phenomena. The etymology of the term relates to the Greek word mimema for mimic.” (Wikipedia)
At best they’re a chain mail game requiring me to answer questions (be careful what content you are asking people to reveal online oh memers) or take a photo of myself that very instant for online exposure. The only gratification being that I can (supposedly) gain 5 times the pleasure in return by passing on this fulfilling activity to 5 “friends”.
Now, I don’t mind engaging in online games if I have time and yes, the prospect of something creative enticed me into the 1st handwriting ‘meme’ I received.
And I’m patient with my contacts who I have watched for 54 days religiously placing a daily image on FlickR (only 311 days to go guys and then you can enjoy your photography again), but I’ve got to tell you that I don’t DO chain letters. Somehow I’ve managed to survive years of deleted emails despite threats of life threatening consequences and I’m happy enough without the promised angels on my shoulder.
So now, despite the prospect of a public flogging for not participating, I’m simply opting out. At least 5 of my friends might appreciate it.
Like you I too almost always resist these online chain letters. I must say occasionally I have a fleeting thought for the “thousandfold wealth”, “eternal love” and “many friendships” I have so glibly tossed aside. Hey I just figure who wants to be friends with people who have nothing else to do except send chain letters anyway?
I have a colleague who continually sends me prayers which makes me wonder just how tragic she thinks I am, I mean really. Iknow I don’t have “thousandfold wealth” ….. but do I look that bad? Clearly she feels I’m on my last legs and given the number of chainemails and prayers I’m receiving I’m starting to wish I was.
Friends against chain emails unite!
Bernadette Harris said this on February 23rd, 2009 at 8:46 pm
I think online community projects and memes are very different to chain letters/emails.
Sure the whole ‘Send it on or die a thousand deaths thing’ is a bit off… and inboxes full of cute emails about wife/husband 2.0, prayers for your soul, fundraising pleas and weird questionaires that promise eternal wealth are annoying and really are spam to most of us…. but are these the same as opt-in community projects?
Personally I think the community that’s started to build around the #365 days projects (there are several in the edusphere and others globally), 52 weeks and some of the twitter memes are lovely. They are creating new connections between community members and dont come with threats of disaster or requirements to take part.
Go check out the #365 days discussion groups on Flickr – http://www.flickr.com/groups/twitter365project/ – sure its full of pics of people’s foot, dog, cat, cereal bowl etc etc and that can get a bit mundane.. but in amongst it all people are enjoying it and making some really creative works. Many are also using it as both a visual and a writing project – diarising and commenting on their lives in really open and interesting ways.
The 365 days project also has me thinking about historical photographs and the ways in which we access and record history. Perhaps all those highly domestic, personal images of people cooking dinner and cleaning their room or their latest prized acquisition will form an important part of the visual record of this century in a few hundred years?? (If we can figure out e-permanance that is.. hehe!).
The one prob we do still have is how to filter all of this in our twitter feeds and flickr streams – so that those who want to join in can, and those who dont can filter out. Hashtags are one way, but maybe we need to look for more sophisticated tools for this.
jokay said this on February 24th, 2009 at 8:08 am
The advent of the flickr365 phenomenon represents the Twitterisation of Flickr. In recent times my contacts feed has become chocked with images of close up facials, toes, fingers etc. all captured at moments when creativity proves illusive!
In many ways ,all symptomatic of the banality of twitter escaping it’s network boundaries.
The “meme” game comprises it’s logical extension, a social networking version of email “Chain mail” which has it’s roots in an earlier form of snail mail chain letters. All seek to exploit the modern boundary between the anonymous and the personal. Typically sent from one whom you trust & know they ultimately seek to expand beyond the boundaries of a social network through “6 degrees of separation”.
Like its chain mail precursor, the meme game contains a nascent threat of violence inherent in all “viral social networks”. If you don’t send it on then …..
As my parents one told me “if you don’t have anything worthwhile to say don’t say anything”
I say “defy that which threatens and strengthen that which affirms”
I would find something from Nietzsche but it’s too late …
sridgway said this on February 24th, 2009 at 10:29 pm