Previous article : Appealing to the Masses Online

Troll face: Perhaps one of the more recognisable memes, or 'rage faces', troll face is an archetypal caricature of those with mischievous intent.

Memes have seen a surge in popularity of late; to the point where they're almost a de facto means of impersonal communication.

Of course, we're talking about internet memes here, rather than the Dawkins-derived overarching concept of reproductive ideas - such as the term 'meme' normally implies.

Memes come in many forms - but they share a number of traits, including brevity, familiarity - and a heavy lean towards visual delivery.

Highly Visual Content

Rage comics are typically 4-panels long, use well-established and recognisable 'rage faces' for expression, and tell a simple story in a direct way - with the fourth panel being the reaction or outcome.

While memes can be text-based, the overwhelming majority comprise an image - and can be likened to a simplified comic in format, with either a single panel, or a number of equal panels (conventionally, 4).

While the format isn't entirely rigid, a large majority of memes will play to this common structure - enhancing familiarity, and reducing the need to supply context to the image.

4-panel comics are generally known as 'rage comics', and usually focus on telling a story - with the last panel almost universally being a simple expression or reaction to the outcome of the preceding story.

These comics employ 'rage faces' - simple caricatures and stereotypes - that convey emotion and motivation in a very straightforward way.

Image macros consist of a single image, with two lines of text. Similar to a joke in structure, their visual cue sets up the context of the joke, while the text completes it.

Single-panel comics are generally known as 'image macros' - and employ a single, established image - normally a caricature of some kind - and two lines of text.

These serve as great ways to tell a simple story, with the image providing quick context - and the text structured as a classic joke, with set-up above and punchline beneath.

The image, in combination with the distinctive coloured backgrounds for each caricature, means that much of the meme's communication is done visually, without the need to read the text.

This visual format lends itself to accessibility, and when combined with the familiarity of a rigid format, grants near instant context to a typical meme.

Instant Accessibility

Repeated use of the same image gives memes their own in-built context, one that is processed on an almost sub-conscious level, and is capable of transcending language barriers.

This instant gratification, without the need for investment, is part of what makes memes so easily digestible - reading even a short joke in a text format requires far more effort than simply glancing at a picture.

Another critical aspect to the success of memes is the ease with which they may be shared: sharing is essential for memes like these to propagate.

Conducive to Sharing

quickmeme is a site specifically designed around the creation and distribution of image macros. [quickmeme.com]

Sites such as 4chan, Reddit, and more recent social contender, 9gag are perfect platforms for posting single images, and indeed are quite prolifically populated with memes.

Posting images to someone's facebook wall, emailing or via IM are all quick and simple ways for memes to propagate - and given their near-universal accessibility, they've seen substantial distribution though a large number of channels.

For those lacking the ability to even upload an image, there exist sites that facilitate the creation of established memes with barely any friction at all - QuickMeme being the most popular example.

It's this combination of instant accessibility, universal context and ease of sharing that define internet memes - and defines much of their popularity.

Tailor-made for a viral internet culture

These familiar images, some crudely drawn, others simply crude - are tailor-made for the purpose they fit. The more successful the meme, the more likely it is to be shared - meaning that the purest, most accessible memes rise to the highest prominence.

None of these are high art, nor is a single image macro a particularly worthy creative contribution - but, they do serve as a lightweight encapsulation of a single idea, and as such are ideally suited to the medium they're distributed on.

The scale of the internet means that there is more information readily accessible than ever before - and the emergence of a meme is an artefact of this information overload.

Reading a paragraph of text is not a grand task by any means - but when presented in competition with something more easily digestible, seems like an almost herculean expense of effort.

It's a shame, for those of us who prefer content with a little more meat - but it's just evidence of a shift in communication in the internet age. Memes are the equivalent of idle chatter - they're not supposed to be deep, or meaningful - but a simple way to express ideas and tell short stories.

For this purpose, they're ideal - and while the concept of an internet meme might evolve, I suspect we'll see such lightweight and easily digestible content endure.

Next article : On Creative Dishonesty

---