Meme Identification

Grant Barrett gbarrett at AMERICANDIALECT.ORG
Tue Nov 23 22:04:35 UTC 1999


I've been seeing this in tech circles for a while now and I'd like to point it out
here, for the record.

It's the simple identification of a phrase that the author, writing in a casual
context, knows has joined the current Internet discussion memes. This is often done
simply via capitalization, but also by the adding of the suffix of TM or (tm) or some
other version of the trademark symbol  (™ on a Mac).

"Good Thing (tm)" is one. I believe it originates from Marth Stewart. Another is
"They Just Don't Get It (tm)." Below are two citations of many.


http://slashdot.org/articles/99/03/29/192234.shtml

The basic platforms and protocols will be open (as if they aren't already), but
there will always be a place for proprietary software: production apps, multimedia apps,
games, etc. This will be a Good Thing, and profits made from proprietary software
will then be turned around to fund OSS projects that will benefit everyone.


http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=99/11/22/155207&mode=flat

Users ANYWHERE can access web/ftp/whatever sites on the other side of the globe as
easily as they can the ISP downtown. Legislators just can't seem to fathom this. They
Just Don't Get It (tm). And unless the US plans to blockade packets from whole
nations (not gonna happen).



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