Memes, Memes Everywhere: As Pinoy Meme goes Viral

It is like a viral video that people keep making parodies and remakes of. Pleasurable for some while others find it aggravating.

sample memes
(Disclaimer: I do not own any of these photos)

Memes, according to Merriam Webster dictionary, are an idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture.  Same on how it works on Internet – it is spread mostly in form of photos through social networking sites and any other virtual channels that links through cyberspace. It is virus of the human mind, an idea or thought that spreads quickly over a network that occupies your thinking that is hard to remove. This is popularly known as “Internet Memes”. The more successful it is, the more likely it to be shared – meaning the most funny and the purest rise to the highest fame.

Memes first started in the U.S  where its use is to convey emotion and motivation in a very straightforward way. These serve as great ways to tell a simple story, with the combination of an image that perfectly describes a situation and a curiously apt text as a classic joke beneath it. It mostly comes from famous movies, well-known personalities or even common people (who do not have any idea that they will have a sudden fame)

Check out this video about the origin of memes:

Later on, these memes were adapted by the Filipino netizens and starting making their own for their enjoyment. So why they like it? I ask some netizens through facebook:

Majority of them like it because it is catchy, makes sense and humorous.  It is express not only by words but through pictures as well. In addition conversations are also more effective and interactive  when using memes as one of the netizen said..

Pinoys use an image of a known personality or even ordinary people and make fun of it by editing their pictures with hilarious and sometimes insulting captions.  Nobody really knows how or when it started. A facebook spokesperson told ABC News that they are unable to trace the origin. “By the time we recognize the trend, it’s usually difficult to pinpoint the exact beginning” she said.

some of the popular pinoy memes

So instead, some site listed down 10 most notorious Facebook memes that give trends to netizens. From DPWH mania to the death of Steve Jobs last 2011. As it goes viral, even GMA News cited some of the popular memes that marked 2012 collection.

Other than that, like what I’ve said earlier, it is a pleasure for some while others finds it insulting or offensive. Election period for example, as the month of election started, netizens started posting memes to give some comment about election issues and criticizing certain senatorial candidates. Issues like political dynasty, power outrages and illegal campaign materials all made it into memes.

But from all of those numerous memes, Nancy Binay as one of the favorite subject – about her natural brown complexion for instance, find it rude and abusive that she proposed a bill against “electronic violence” for those viral memes. Electronic violence refers to use of computers to “cause mental, emotional or psychological suffering to the victim”.

You see how Internet somehow affects our daily and even personal lives. The bottom line is, in spite of pleasurable factors technology has given, learn to be responsible enough to do what you think is right and what is not. You can enjoy things at the same time not hurting anyone

Watch this related video of Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho about Memes:

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Legislators and their Invisible Projects

The continuous distribution of funds for priority programs and projects of the legislators or congressmen is to secure on the principle that these priority subjects would improve the living condition of the poor. It is believed to be one of the best ways for the progress of the lives of underprivileged sector of the society. But what would you feel if you knew that the government officials are not doing their job and worse, they do invisible projects or programs to take the money or benefits that community people must be receiving from the government funds.

Local Government Units (LGU) was identified as among the implementers of the projects under six categories:

                                                        (c) Commission on Audit

A total of ₱2.034 Billion was released by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to the selected LGUs. The Audit revealed that the consumption of PDAF released to LGUs for soft projects were not appropriate in the submitted reports or expenditures amounting ₱1.289 Billion as examined by the COA are not compliant with the existing rules and regulations with large amounts supported with questionable documents. Moreover, transactions amounting to ₱234.13 Million were not documented.

Medical missions, feeding programs and similar activities have no proof to support the conduct of such activities. Financial assistance was released to various individuals and associations without any documentary support to assess the actual needs and requirements and eligibility under the program. Burial assistance without death certificates and educational assistance was released without school records and scholarship contracts and livelihood assistance without project profile.

The use of government funds without proper documentation is completely a violation of the law. It’s the time for us to be aware and take action for corrupt officials to be penalized for what they’ve done. I believe our country is not poor if only we have true leaders that will serve right to its people.

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INSTAtistics

Instagram statistics and its impact to online journalism

Click photo for clearer view

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