On memespreads
This is something I have thought about for a while now; namely, the way memes move through LJ, and through certain groups of people. When a certain meme pops up on my flist time after time, from a different contingent of the cast of thousands, I start to think about stuff like that.
Now, I have a v. extensive and somewhat eclectic f-list: there are people from several fandoms, several nonfandom people, and communities ranging from slash fiction to dieting to BDSM. So I get a pretty wide selection of people/fandoms. I will be concentrating on the fandoms for now.
Now, when a meme re-occurs on my f-list, it is usually within a certain fandom - the HP folks, the BtVS people, or maybe the Pirates. Or the Sorcereans (who aren’t a fandom but still a subgroup of note) Amongst these groups, there are several people who are on my f-list and who are on each others’ lists; even if I do not continue the meme, it is likely that they will pick it from someone else.
Now, when I pick a meme and repost it - it can jump from one group of people - The Pirates - to another - the HP Folks - and thus, start to spread in entirely different chain of people. Not to say that I myself am of any note, but rather the fact that my journal is a multifandom/multipurpose one. And thus, links different chains/groups of people together - and spreads memes.
Now, jumping between fandoms gives a meme a longer lifespan - so okay, maybe fandom A ids done to death with the Meme of Doom, but it is fresh and exciting for Fandom B - and perhaps a refreshing visitor from the past for Fandom C.
Err, I think I had a point, didn’t I? Ah yes. Namely, that there most likely are certain journals that work as fandom/meme crossroads - and there are certain qualities to those journals.
1. Large readership - I believe that approximately 30 regular readers would be enough to fulfil this category
2. Willingness to pass on memes/quizzes alongside other content - when someone posts only memes and quizzes, this is often found boring and easily overlooked.
3. Differing fandoms - There is a lot of fandoms that have much overlap in fans - Fans of Pirates of the Caribbean are often fans of other Johnny Depp or Orlando Bloom movies, Stargate fans tens to watch other sci-fi shows as well, supernatural shows like Buffy or Highlander have their own fan base…. For purposes of keeping a meme alive, someone who has overlapping fandoms without enough difference in them exhausts the spread.
So, anyone else out there think there are other LJ-specific qualities that could affect the spreading of a meme/quiz? I do not mean content-wise but rather, things in the LJ structure/community that would affect meme-spreading?
Now, I have a v. extensive and somewhat eclectic f-list: there are people from several fandoms, several nonfandom people, and communities ranging from slash fiction to dieting to BDSM. So I get a pretty wide selection of people/fandoms. I will be concentrating on the fandoms for now.
Now, when a meme re-occurs on my f-list, it is usually within a certain fandom - the HP folks, the BtVS people, or maybe the Pirates. Or the Sorcereans (who aren’t a fandom but still a subgroup of note) Amongst these groups, there are several people who are on my f-list and who are on each others’ lists; even if I do not continue the meme, it is likely that they will pick it from someone else.
Now, when I pick a meme and repost it - it can jump from one group of people - The Pirates - to another - the HP Folks - and thus, start to spread in entirely different chain of people. Not to say that I myself am of any note, but rather the fact that my journal is a multifandom/multipurpose one. And thus, links different chains/groups of people together - and spreads memes.
Now, jumping between fandoms gives a meme a longer lifespan - so okay, maybe fandom A ids done to death with the Meme of Doom, but it is fresh and exciting for Fandom B - and perhaps a refreshing visitor from the past for Fandom C.
Err, I think I had a point, didn’t I? Ah yes. Namely, that there most likely are certain journals that work as fandom/meme crossroads - and there are certain qualities to those journals.
1. Large readership - I believe that approximately 30 regular readers would be enough to fulfil this category
2. Willingness to pass on memes/quizzes alongside other content - when someone posts only memes and quizzes, this is often found boring and easily overlooked.
3. Differing fandoms - There is a lot of fandoms that have much overlap in fans - Fans of Pirates of the Caribbean are often fans of other Johnny Depp or Orlando Bloom movies, Stargate fans tens to watch other sci-fi shows as well, supernatural shows like Buffy or Highlander have their own fan base…. For purposes of keeping a meme alive, someone who has overlapping fandoms without enough difference in them exhausts the spread.
So, anyone else out there think there are other LJ-specific qualities that could affect the spreading of a meme/quiz? I do not mean content-wise but rather, things in the LJ structure/community that would affect meme-spreading?