Inane use of moving pictures

[moi]

I still think the most annoying habit on the forums is replying with nothing but a single emoticon. The hand clapping one (  *) seems to get the most use. If you're so lazy that you can't even write a sentence or two, but you like the post, just press the "like"-button, that's what it's there for. At least with animated gifs the person has to go looking for the image and put a little effort to it. Yes, the effort is very minimal, but at least he/she has to venture out into the google image search, instead of just clicking one of the emoticons here on the forums.  

* (a "hand clapping" reply coming up in 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4....)

Oh absolutely, Maksimov!! And even more annoying than that is when someone who has not "liked" the original post clicks "like" on the handclapping post!!  You have to wonder sometimes whether people are being bribed to "like" other people's posts!

 

[Maksimov]

Oh absolutely, Maksimov!! And even more annoying than that is when someone who has not "liked" the original post clicks "like" on the handclapping post!!

Something that's been happening more and more is the use of the troll face ( ) and the face palm ( ) emoticons as the only content in a post. The former is just slightly annoying, but the face palm can seem just plain offensive. You disagree with someone, but can't be bothered to type in why. It's the equivalent of slapping someone in the face for no apparent reason. As for the troll face, I think the word "troll" is used a bit too lightly on the forums. It seems like whenever someone has an opinion that doesn't match the opinions of the masses, he must be a troll. It's such a cheap comment and is often used too lightly (even more so than the word "legend"). You think someone is trolling? Don't feed the troll.

 

[ForeverCarefree]

Something that's been happening more and more is the use of the troll face ( ) and the face palm ( ) emoticons as the only content in a post. The former is just slightly annoying, but the face palm can seem just plain offensive. You disagree with someone, but can't be bothered to type in why. It's the equivalent of slapping someone in the face for no apparent reason. As for the troll face, I think the word "troll" is used a bit too lightly on the forums. It seems like whenever someone has an opinion that doesn't match the opinions of the masses, he must be a troll. It's such a cheap comment and is often used too lightly (even more so than the word "legend"). You think someone is trolling? Don't feed the troll.

trollface.jpeg etc etc

Anywho, I agree with a lot of what is being said. If you're not going to add to the discussion then I think people should refrain from making posts such as pointless .gifs or smileys that don't actually add anything to discussion taking place. It's mostly frustrating when a good debate/discussion is broken up by pointless posts. 

As I said at the start of the thread, I've been guilty of using gifs myself but I've always tried to make it relevant to thread and I like to think I weigh in with my share of posts to that open up discussion.

I don't think gifs or memes should be banned from the forum but I do agree that they used be used "considerately". 

 

[moi]

It will not surprise you in the least to discover that I don't even know what a meme is - in French a mémé is a granma, but I'm sure it's not that!

 

[Beerqueen]

I think memes are pictures etc with text or jokes whereas gifs are moving.  I think all can be ok but only, as has been said before, when used appropriately - similarly with emoticons.

This I think is a meme - which I think is perfectly acceptable!

/monthly_07_2013/post-1143-0-22633800-1373985058_thumb.jpg

 

[ForeverCarefree]

It will not surprise you in the least to discover that I don't even know what a meme is - in French a mémé is a granma, but I'm sure it's not that!

I think memes are pictures etc with text or jokes whereas gifs are moving.  I think all can be ok but only, as has been said before, when used appropriately - similarly with emoticons.

This I think is a meme - which I think is perfectly acceptable!

Beerqueen is correct about Memes, there are indeed, essentially pictures with text. 

I'll save the reference of a "mémé" for the Rooney thread.  

 

[moi]

Indeed, BQ, that is a perfectly acceptable post, which means something.  I wonder what the etymology of meme is?  is it an acronym? an abbreviation?

 

[ForeverCarefree]

Indeed, BQ, that is a perfectly acceptable post, which means something.  I wonder what the etymology of meme is?  is it an acronym? an abbreviation?

According to the ever reliable Wikipedia:

"A meme is "an idea, behavior, or style that spreads from person to person within a culture." A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural ideas, symbols, or practices that can be transmitted from one mind to another through writing, speech, gestures, rituals, or other imitable phenomena. Supporters of the concept regard memes as cultural analogues to genes in that they self-replicate, mutate, and respond to selective pressures.

The word meme is a shortening (modeled on gene) of mimeme (from Ancient Greek μίμημα Greek pronunciation: [míËmÉ›Ëma] mÄ«mÄ“ma, "imitated thing", from μιμεῖσθαι mimeisthai, "to imitate", from μῖμος mimos "mime") and it was coined by the British evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in The Selfish Gene (1976 as a concept for discussion of evolutionary principles in explaining the spread of ideas and cultural phenomena. Examples of memes given in the book included melodies, catch-phrases, fashion, and the technology of building arches.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
So yeah.
 
 
Now you know. 

 

[moi]

According to the ever reliable Wikipedia:

"A meme is "an idea, behavior, or style that spreads from person to person within a culture." A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural ideas, symbols, or practices that can be transmitted from one mind to another through writing, speech, gestures, rituals, or other imitable phenomena. Supporters of the concept regard memes as cultural analogues to genes in that they self-replicate, mutate, and respond to selective pressures.

The word meme is a shortening (modeled on gene) of mimeme (from Ancient Greek μίμημα Greek pronunciation: [míËmÉ›Ëma] mÄ«mÄ“ma, "imitated thing", from μιμεῖσθαι mimeisthai, "to imitate", from μῖμος mimos "mime") and it was coined by the British evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in The Selfish Gene (1976 as a concept for discussion of evolutionary principles in explaining the spread of ideas and cultural phenomena. Examples of memes given in the book included melodies, catch-phrases, fashion, and the technology of building arches.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
So yeah.
 
 
Now you know. 

Cool, man!    Thanks!

 

[ForeverCarefree]

Just remember.

Knowledge is power. So arm yourself. 

 

[moi]

Just remember.

Knowledge is power. So arm yourself. 

I am incredibly well-armed in some arenas - it's just that my arenas don't often coincide with other people's!!  

 

[undertow]

Indeed, BQ, that is a perfectly acceptable post, which means something.  I wonder what the etymology of meme is?  is it an acronym? an abbreviation?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme

"A meme an idea, behavior, or style that spreads from person to person within a culture."

It's actually coming from Greek, and the term is around from the '70s since Richard Dawkins has started to use it in his works about evolution.

Now if you're talking about internet memes that's wholly different animal.

Edit: I'm too late for the party. Again. Sigh...

 

[goose]

It's a bad day that you don't learn something new and this thread has been informative to an old git like me.

gifs: don't know how to find them or how to implant them in a post, don't really want to know as I couldn't be arsed.

However I can't say that others using them really bothers me very much.

 

[Huttsey]

I notice that there's a 'Forum Etiquette' thread on the forum. Would it be beneficial to come up with a 'policy' on gif / emoticon use and cement it within the etiquette? If there is such an opposition to the use of of these then to me it needs to be reinforced amongst the entire membership.

Personally, I'm not much of an image user as I don't feel that they offer much value but they also don't bother me that much. I just ignore and carry on.

 

[moi]

In a way, I agree, Huttsey, except that it's annoying to enter a thread specifically because you think an interesting comment has been added, only to find that there is some infantile cartoon character twitching at you!

I like your butterflies and Hurricanes avatar, by the way.

 

[undertow]

It's still miles better than finding another personal attack on someone instead of a good argument...

 

[Maksimov]

I notice that there's a 'Forum Etiquette' thread on the forum. Would it be beneficial to come up with a 'policy' on gif / emoticon use and cement it within the etiquette? If there is such an opposition to the use of of these then to me it needs to be reinforced amongst the entire membership.

I'm not sure if a total ban on animated gifs would be a good idea. Quite often there aren't any video clips available (copyright issues on youtube and what not) of some football incidents, but animated gifs usually are available, so in these cases they animated gif does bring

It's still miles better than finding another personal attack on someone instead of a good argument...

Yeah, I'd rather ban those than animated gifs. Animated gifs have their place and time, but there's never a good time for a personal attack. It usually means you're running out of things to say.

extra value to your post.

 

[Huttsey]

I'm not sure if a total ban on animated gifs would be a good idea. Quite often there aren't any video clips available (copyright issues on youtube and what not) of some football incidents, but animated gifs usually are available, so in these cases they animated gif does bring

I'm sorry, it wasn't my intention to propose a total ban. My view is, a guideline of when it is appropriate to use animated gifs and when it is not appropriate to use animated gifs would be beneficial. I agree that they do bring some benefits (such as football incidents).

I like your butterflies and Hurricanes avatar, by the way.

Thank you. I'm an almost obsessive Muse fan and it is one of my favourite album covers.

 

[Maksimov]

I'm not sure if a total ban on animated gifs would be a good idea. Quite often there aren't any video clips available (copyright issues on youtube and what not) of some football incidents, but animated gifs usually are available, so in these cases they animated gif does bring

Yeah, I'd rather ban those than animated gifs. Animated gifs have their place and time, but there's never a good time for a personal attack. It usually means you're running out of things to say.

extra value to your post.

Weird. I've no idea what happened with that post. That last line ("extra value to your post.") was supposed to be after the "animated gif does bring". And it was supposed to be "the", not "they animated gif".

 

[SydneyChelsea]

The best forums I have been on have had a blanket ban on the use of animated gifs (it is especially annoying when you access via mobile device) and secondly a ban on using solely images tor respond to posts.

The forum is a place of discussion, not dismissal. Leave gifs and memes for the highschool kids on Facebook.