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Binders(Full(of(Election(Memes:((
Participatory(Culture(invades(the(2012(U.S.(Election1(
!
Erhardt'Graeff'
MIT'Center'for'Civic'Media'
erhardt@media.mit.edu'
November'18,'2014'Final'Edit'
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Election(Memes(as(Impure(Dissent(
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(),&%&'#,!'$-0&8&,&%*5!Q.&,-!6%$)9-$K]#,,-*!#$?+-7!%.#%!'))(%&)/!):!(#$%&'&(#%)$*!
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($#'%&'-!#/0!#$-!`+7%!#8)+%!L&//&/?!F123nI=!%.-$-!#$-!$-#,!9)9-/%7!):!(),&%&'#,!
0&7')+$7-!%.#%!-9-$?-!%.$)+?.!9-9-!7.#$&/?b%.-7-!#$-!9)9-/%7!):!(-$7)/#,!
&0-/%&%*!')/7%$+'%&)/!#/0!/-?)%&#%&)/=!%)!$-%+$/!%)!6.&:9#/A7!0-:&/&%&)/!):!&/%-$/-%!
9-9-75!;.-$-!&7!$))9!#/0!#!/--0!:)$!7.#$&/?!-,-'%&)/!9-9-7!#7!&9(+$-!0&77-/%!#/0!
#7!'*/&'#,!(),&%&'#,!(#$%&'&(#%&)/=!L.&'.!9&?.%!8-!#9(,&:&-0!8*!'#9(#&?/7!8+%!'#//)%!
8-!$-(,#'-0!8*!%.-95!
!
References(
!
P-/@,-$=!R)'.#&5!122g5!The%Wealth%of%Networks:%How%Social%Production%Transforms%
Markets%and%Freedom5!d-L!X#C-/M!R#,-!4/&C-$7&%*!"$-775!
P-//-%%=!Q5!E#/'-=!#/0!c,-J#/0$#!6-?-$8-$?5!12315!<;.-!E)?&'!):!\)//-'%&C-!c'%&)/5>!
Information,%Communication%&%Society!3_!F_IM!HGmogl5!
X#8-$9#/=!6%-(.#/&-5!12315!<;#,@&/?!D/%-$/-%!]),0!Q&%.!\$-#%)$!):!TP&/0-$7!O+,,!):!
Q)9-/T!;+98,$5>!Mashable=!U'%)8-$!3H5!c''-77-0!Y+/-!H=!123n5!
.%%(MBB9#7.#8,-5')9B1231B32B3HB8&/0-$7K:+,,K):KL)9-/K%+98,$B5!
X&$7'.9#/=!c,8-$%5!3mH25!Exit,%Voice,%and%Loyalty:%Responses%to%Decline%in%Firms,%
Organizations,%and%States5!\#98$&0?-=!VcM!X#$C#$0!4/&C-$7&%*!"$-775!
Y-/@&/7=!X-/$*=!6#9!O)$0=!#/0!Y)7.+#!]$--/5!123G5!Spreadable%Media:%Creating%Value%
and%Meaning%in%a%Networked%Culture5!d-L!R)$@M!dR4!"$-775!
6-&%eKQ#,0=!c,-J5!12315!<V#%%!U$%-?#M!;.-!V#/!8-.&/0!V&%%!W)9/-*!V-9-75>!Salon=!
V#$'.!1G5!c''-77-0!Y+/-!H=!123n5!
.%%(MBBLLL57#,)/5')9B1231B2GB1GB9#%%p)$%-?#p%.-p9#/p8-.&/0p9&%%p$)
9/-*p9-9-7B5!
6.-,8*=!;)99&-5!forthcoming5!<D9(+$-!S&77-/%M!X&(!X)(!#/0!%.-!"),&%&'#,!^%.&'7!):!
V#$?&/#,&e-0!P,#'@!4$8#/!R)+%.5>!D/!From%Voice%to%Influence:%Understanding%
Citizenship%in%a%Digital%Age=!-0&%-0!8*!S#/&-,,-!c,,-/!#/0!Y-//&:-$!E&?.%5!
6.&:9#/=!E&9)$5!123G5!Memes%in%Digital%Culture5!\#98$&0?-=!VcM!VD;!"$-775!
6.&:9#/=!E&9)$=!6%-(.-/!\),-9#/=!#/0!6%-(.-/!Q#$05!122H5!<U/,*!Y)@&/?i!U/,&/-!
X+9)+$!&/!%.-!122_!4a!]-/-$#,!^,-'%&)/5>!Information,%Communication%&%
Society!32!FnIM!ng_olH5!
6%$)9-$K]#,,-*=!Y-//&:-$5!123n5!Presidential%Campaigning%in%the%Internet%Age5!d-L!
R)$@=!dRM!UJ:)$0!4/&C-$7&%*!"$-775!
Q#,,7%-/=!a5=!12325!<R-7!Q-!\#/>M!X)L!U/,&/-!j&-L-$7.&(=!P,)?!S&7'+77&)/=!
\#9(#&?/!6%#%-9-/%7=!#/0!V#&/7%$-#9!V-0&#!\)C-$#?-!"$)0+'-0!#!j&$#,!
j&0-)!".-/)9-/)/5!Journal%of%Information%Technology%&%Politics!H=!3gGo3l35!
!