We may have had, at some point in time in the forums, IRC or via emails, several discussions about what defines a meme. We all have our own opinions about it. There are some guidelines though that have been written between us mods and staff members together and they have been updated accordingly through the years.
At another point in time, precisely when we were drawn to discover Facebooks fads and events (flash-in-the-pans, microphenomena), such as the bra status update, we were to reconsider one's opinion to what makes a meme: Lasting time.
I think many of you think that a phenomenon must live on for at least several days/weeks to become a legitimate meme. I have to say that, by the book, it's pretty much how it happens on the internet, but how can we figure out an "ideal" lasting time for this?
Do you guys remember Peanut Butter Jelly Time, Mark Gormley, Three Wolf Moon or, more recently, Ice Cream Cone Guy?
Do you even remember why people mean carrots when they talk about waffles?
There are many phenomena that were big for some times before falling into oblivion. Ice Cream Cone Guy lasted 2 or 3 weeks before being forgotten as immediately as it came about. Does that nullify it as a meme?