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Is there a memetic engineering handbook?

ciarconn

01:43 / 13.11.09

I am searching for handbooks or at least guidelines on memetic engineering. Do you know books or internet pages on the subject?

Evil Scientist

10:27 / 13.11.09

Could you be a bit more specific on what you mean by memetic engineering?

However, I would have thought that anything about advertising techniques would be a good place to get started.

ciarconn

00:25 / 14.11.09

I am looking for a recipe book on how to build memes, successful memes, in general, preferably outside viral advertising. Rushkoff does have some ideas on it, but I am searching for something more specific.

Quantum

08:41 / 15.11.09

If you have a strong constitution then the 4chan spinoff memegenerator .net/Tier/Top has loads of templates, just try and ignore the horror and the comedy racism, then pick a meme and type.

Like this

Evil Scientist

08:48 / 26.11.09

I am looking for a recipe book on how to build memes, successful memes, in general, preferably outside viral advertising.

I suppose it depends on what you want to achieve with these memes. As Quantum demonstrates it's easy enough to put together something that'll proliferate through the net. I don't know if anyone's done an analysis of the internet petition/chain letters that do the rounds.

Meme is a pretty broad-ranging term. What specific kinds of meme do you want to look at?

Char Aina

11:29 / 26.11.09

Watch the 118 adverts.
WALL TO FUCKIN WALL MEMES.

Seriously.

I'd also recommend reading the KLF book, The Manual, but only if you want to. It isn't really about what you're talking about, but it also kinda is.

Remember, goal based learning is better, so define those and you'll get better advice and more convincing success.

What are your goals?

ciarconn

21:46 / 26.11.09

Well, I am working on visual memes, or memes related to symbols. And beyond simply creating them, I am searching for instructions on how to create them. Curiously, what i have found relates memetics and chaos magic.

Char Aina

04:16 / 29.11.09

Could you explain what you've found?

Evil Scientist

12:40 / 30.11.09

I am searching for instructions on how to create them.

Do you mean create visual images with some inherant meaning which you'd disseminate into the world and expect them to proliferate beyond your own use of them? Something like the (pretty much) recognised symbol for "poison" (previously used as the recognised symbol for !pirates!) or LOLcats?

It would help to know what you want these visual memes to actually do? Are they adverts for a band or product? Are they going to be the symbol of an organisation/religion/chess-club?

ciarconn

00:23 / 02.12.09

As weird as it might sound, I am not thinking about constructing visual memes, though I am reviewing practical bibliography on the theory of how to build them. I am doing a work on memetics applied to graphic design.

what have i found: besides some notes from Rushkoff, I found a pirate book called The Art of memetics, by Edward Wilson and Wes Unguh, which does have some notes on the creation of memes, but since the book combines marketing, cybernetic theory and some ideas from chaos magik, its usefulness is limited to me. It is useful, but I am fishing to see if I can find something else.

Char Aina

15:21 / 12.01.10

What did you glean form the sources you mention? Any useful techniques?

ciarconn

01:40 / 13.01.10

Depends on what you consider useful, and if you are thinking as a chaos mage, or as a designer, or as a social engineer

Evil Scientist

09:40 / 13.01.10

Depends on what you consider useful, and if you are thinking as a chaos mage, or as a designer, or as a social engineer.

I am thinking as a chaos mage, a designer, and a social engineer.

Useful as in "of practical use".

Quantum

21:35 / 14.01.10

Memetic engineering- is that like maintaining a memetic engine? Does a memetic engineer get meme oil all over their memetic overalls?

Evil Scientist

07:45 / 15.01.10

Meme oil, good for word salads.

I'm sorry, I'll go now.

Haus Of Pain

15:13 / 04.03.10

I'd suggest that, in the UK at least, you're not considered a proper driver unless you can drive a manual.

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