About

"I am aware of all Internet traditions" is a catchphrase typically used to either mock someone else's elitist attitude or defend one's own reputation in being knowledgable about certain conventions and customs on the Internet.

Origin

On June 17th, 2008, Davenoon, a blogger for the political blog Lawyers, Guns, and Money^[1], posted a short summary of Obama-skeptic comments that were made by another conservative blogger Neo-neocon.

Then one of the readers Vanderleun misinterpreted Davenoon's snarky paraphrasing as a direct quote and left a comment criticizing its inaccuracy. In response, the author explained the practice of using "shorter" summary as a convention in the blogging community.

Vanderleun then countered with the reply "I am aware of all internet traditions." Due to its conceited and self-defensive nature, his comment quickly caught on with other readers and spawned a lulzy stream of comments poking fun at the remark.

Spread

The blog post was eventually picked up by another writer John Cole via his Balloon Juice blog. From there, the phrase spread like wildfire and eventually inspired an image macro series, many examples of which can be found on the single topic blog I Am Aware of All Internet Traditions. Among some users, the phrase carries a connotation not only of misplaced bragging borne of ignorance, but also that politically charged individuals may be less web-savvy, yet ironically more apt to make outrageous and easily debunked claims.

Search Interest

External References

^[1] Lawyers, Guns and Money – Thanks to 9/11, she’s outraged by decolonization

^[2] Blogspot – I am Aware of All Internet Traditions