what was the original or first internet meme?

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bfdd

Lifer
Feb 3, 2007
13,312
1
0
There were other forms of 1337 sp33k well before pwn.

of course they were, but i wouldn't consider 1337 speak an internet meme because it predated the current form of the internet we know. people were using 1337 speak when you had to dial into a BBS.
 

AstroManLuca

Lifer
Jun 24, 2004
15,628
5
81
Another really early one was Mr. T Ate My Balls. Also 1996. I remember this one from when I was in junior high.

Even that I wouldn't consider the first internet meme though. I think memes have existed probably as long as people have been sending messages to each other over the internet, it's just that they weren't well known before the mid 90s when everyone started getting internet access. There were probably a great number of memes or inside jokes that existed in the 70s and 80s (or even earlier) that died off before any large number of people saw them.

EDIT: Also a lot of memes transitioned to the internet over time. What used to be chain letters migrated to e-mail. Remember that e-mail about an expensive cookie recipe? Yeah. Snopes.com is a good place to track old chain letters (apparently that story has been around since the 40s in various forms).
 
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KeithTalent

Elite Member | Administrator | No Lifer
Administrator
Nov 30, 2005
50,231
118
116

Indeed.

hamster%20dance.gif


gif-anime-gloubiweb--44-.gif


KT
 

eLiu

Diamond Member
Jun 4, 2001
6,407
1
0
Can't get to all of the links, but did any of them mention the Internet Coffee Pot yet? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trojan_Room_coffee_pot

hahaha, that's great. The big timeline did show that one.

One of the dorms in my school had something like that... except it showed the occupancy status of all bathrooms (and later laundry machine usage) in the building. And by 'showed', I do not mean with a webcam.
 

BurnItDwn

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
26,355
1,867
126
Probably a busy signal. In the 90s, everyone associated a busy signal with America Online.
 

QueBert

Lifer
Jan 6, 2002
23,052
1,222
126
Remember the fake post on ebay about someone trying to sell their virginity?

this was 99

http://www.wtfman.com/mcd/dick2.htm

Use to chat with Iconclast on IRC, don't remember who posted that ad, but he was semi famous for a minute after that. While I never found out I'm pretty sure due to this he actually got laid LOL. With that pic it was like he was begging somebody to make that ebay auction.


With that said slapping people with a large trout was definitely the first internet meme, it even predates the WWW. I was doing it on EFnet in 1993
 
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waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,143
10
81
Use to chat with Iconclast on IRC, don't remember who posted that ad, but he was semi famous for a minute after that. While I never found out I'm pretty sure due to this he actually got laid LOL. With that pic it was like he was begging somebody to make that ebay auction.


With that said slapping people with a large trout was definitely the first internet meme, it even predates the WWW. I was doing it on EFnet in 1993


lol yeah the trout shit got annoying. got to the point any channels i got into made it a instant permanent ban LOL

goatse went by few diffrent names. i remember it as Stinger during my time on Efnet
 

QueBert

Lifer
Jan 6, 2002
23,052
1,222
126
Stinger hahah, EVERYONE on Efnet got stung at least once, ahhh the good times. The first time I got stung, I was on a DOS box using SLiRP on a slow ass connection. It took what seemed forever for the pic to come. AHHH the good old days
 

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,143
10
81
lol i used to troll child porn c hannels. i would go to ogrish.com and get pictures and rename them something like 12yrslut.jpg or such. then offern them on a DCC bot.

usually take about 20 minutes before i get kicked and banned hehe
 

bfdd

Lifer
Feb 3, 2007
13,312
1
0
Use to chat with Iconclast on IRC, don't remember who posted that ad, but he was semi famous for a minute after that. While I never found out I'm pretty sure due to this he actually got laid LOL. With that pic it was like he was begging somebody to make that ebay auction.


With that said slapping people with a large trout was definitely the first internet meme, it even predates the WWW. I was doing it on EFnet in 1993

That shit was hilarious I remember when it was posted too. I don't agree with the slapping of the large trout with the same way I don't agree with 1337 speak. That was a different time and a vastly different internet.
 

silverpig

Lifer
Jul 29, 2001
27,703
12
81
For me, the first was (and I can't believe nobody has mentioned it) All Your Base.

I came in here to post it too and was also surprised it took this long to get mentioned. IIRC it was 1999.

edit: apparently it was 2001... *shrug*
 
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uhohs

Diamond Member
Oct 29, 2005
7,660
44
91
hello my future girlfriend? asianprince? animated gifs on geocities pages? dunno, everything from back then gets lumped together in my brain.
 

aigomorla

CPU, Cases&Cooling Mod PC Gaming Mod Elite Member
Super Moderator
Sep 28, 2005
21,117
3,638
126
There were other forms of 1337 sp33k well before pwn.

it was actually called 3L1T3..
I remember some of my friends on AOL making a program that said that font style was elite.
And i believe they took that term off mIRC.

I think tho it blew up because of pagers when we did pager code like

43110 for hello.... but alpha numerics and text messengers killed 3L1T3 in general.

But i dont think anything preceeds

"LOL" and "ROFL"

I know LOL has been around VERY VERY VERY LONG TIME.


<-- guilty of being an mIRC user a long time ago.. Botwars and trying to take over channels was fun.. well not unless it was you being attacked.
 
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