Hacking the Bus

I found this gizmo that is a timeline of Internet memes.

What is an Internet meme you might ask?

At its most basic, an Internet meme is simply the propagation of a digital file or hyperlink from one person to others using methods available through the Internet (for example, email, blogs, social networking sites, instant messaging, etc.). The content often consists of a saying or joke, a rumor, an altered or original image, a complete website, a video clip or animation, or an offbeat news story, among many other possibilities. An Internet meme may stay the same or may evolve over time, by chance or through commentary, imitations, and parody versions, or even by collecting news accounts about itself. Internet memes have a tendency to evolve and spread extremely quickly, sometimes going in and out of popularity in a matter of days. They are spread organically, voluntarily, peer to peer, rather than by compulsion, predetermined path, or completely automated means.

Wikipedia

Who remembers "All Your Base Are Belong to Us?", "Chocolate Rain?", "Rickrolling?"

Missing from the list?

I’m actually kind of surprised to not see Admiral Ackbar’s "it’s a trap" which appeared heavily on Fark. We also appear to be missing the infamous "kitty cat dance."

This phenomenon is very interesting and I am frequently surprised at my friends and colleagues who are unfamiliar with even a few of the major Internet memes that have occurred over the past decade.

From this  I have learned that there are three groups of people in the world–

• those who treat the Internet like a workspace
• those who treat it like a cultural space
• and those who treat it as both

Of course, there are also those who don’t even have a connection, but we’re not really talking about them for the moment.

In any case, this is the truest form of "viral" media.