Discuss “New memes spread like viruses through the body of the ’Net”

You may have seen some peculiar cats lately. Kittens with sniper rifles, big fat cats with jars on their heads, felines trapped in the shower, and of course, cats eating invisible sandwiches. The source of these ridiculous household pets? It’s just another Internet meme — a cultural tidbit that has been passed from person to person a little bit like a virus.

You will hear over and over that the Internet is one of the most important technological advancements of our time. My journalism professor, Tom O’Boyle, frequently stressed this fact: We are living, at this moment, through what could very well be the biggest, most fundamental change in the way people think and communicate since Gutenberg created moveable type.

The Internet is an...