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| Property | Value |
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| First Indexed | 2021-06-22 06:39:34 (4 years ago) |
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| Meta Title | Meme Templates | Know Your Meme |
| Meta Description | About Meme Templates are the commonly used patterns and elements composing the ideas and behaviors in memes. All memes such as in phrases, images, videos, |
| Meta Canonical | null |
| Boilerpipe Text | Navigation
About
•
Origin
•
Spread
•
Various Examples
•
Related Memes
•
Search Interest
•
External References
•
Recent Images
•
Recent Videos
About
Meme Templates
are the commonly used patterns and elements composing the ideas and behaviors in memes. All
memes
such as in phrases, images, videos, and other mediums, mimic some aspect of a preexisting meme template.
Origin
The first
Internet
meme template, and by extension the first Internet meme, was arguably
spam
. The first example of "spamming" on a form of the Internet can be traced back to a mass email sent out by a Digital Equipment Corporation employee dated May 1st, 1978.
[10]
Spam as a term is based on a Monty Python sketch in which the 'spam' appears on every item in a menu, complete with a Spam Song (shown below).
[20]
The template for the spam/
spamming
meme is the act sending the same message repeatedly, often indiscriminately to multiple users which causes annoyance. Spam became popularized as a meme in the early 90s.
Spread
Micspam
Mic spam
, first mentioned April 30th, 2006 (shown below), is an evolution of spam's meme template of sending a repeated, often indiscriminately annoying message to multiple people.
[13]
Mic spam (often condensed to “Micspam”) refers to the act of continuously making noises, playing music or talking into a microphone via voice chat system in a multiplayer online game. Because it can pose distraction to others players, this practice is generally viewed as obnoxious
trolling
or spamming by other players and often performed solely for the entertainment of the spammer.
Godwin's Law
Godwin's Law
is the second major Internet meme to come into popular usage. Godwin's Law as an idea was first recognized by Mike Godwin in 1990 as a natural law of Usenet. The template for Godwin's Law is the act of pointing out "if you mention Adolf Hitler or Nazis within a discussion thread, you've automatically ended whatever discussion you were taking part in" (shown below).
Rules of the Internet
Rules of the Internet
(shown below) are a reappearance of Godwin's Law's template of stating an observation of a common online social behavior. The Rules of the Internet is a list of protocols and conventions, originally written to serve as a guide for those who identified themselves with the Internet group
Anonymous
. The list serves as a summation of popular
catchphrases
and axioms commonly associated with
4chan
. The idea of making a set of rules, similar to Netiquette
[11]
for 4chan users, was initially talked about on Anonymous-related IRC channels before an entry was submitted to
Encyclopedia Dramatica
sometime in late 2006 and archived
[12]
on January 10th, 2007.
1) Do not talk about rules 2-33
34) There is porn of it. No exceptions.
35) The exception to rule #34 is the citation of rule #34.
36) Anonymous does not forgive.
37) There are no girls on the internet.
38) A
cat
is fine too
39) One cat leads to another.
40) Another cat leads to zippocat.
41) Everything is someone’s sexual fetish.
42) It is delicious cake. You must eat it.
43) It is a delicious trap. You must hit it.
44) /b/ sucks today.
45) Cock goes in here.
46) They will not bring back Snacks.
47) You will never have sex.
48) ???
49) Profit.
50. You can not divide by zero.
Memes
Memes
on the Internet appeared first as spam in 1978, then as Godwin's Law in 1990, before evolving into a broad range of thousands of memes over the next decades documented on sites such as
KnowYourMeme
,
TV Tropes
, and
Encyclopedia Dramatica
. The definition of memes as any behavior, idea, or belief spreadable through non-genetic means serves as the meme template all other memes are both built upon and defined by.
[18]
A key component to the meme concept is that the information is able to self-replicate, and in turn undergoes a type of natural selection, much like genes. With the commercialization of
the internet
in 1995,
[19]
modern memes gradually became more strongly associated with internet memes. Internet memes are associated with media, catchphrases, and more general trends that spread throughout various outlets on the World Wide Web like chat clients, blogs, social networking sites, email, forums and image boards.
Meme Generation Sites
Meme generation sites
catalog meme templates for usage in spreading and altering internet memes. The site Memes appeared around January of 1997 and is one of the longest running meme generation sites still being used.
[14]
Img Flip appeared around July of 2008 and is notable for its extra
memeing
features which include a video-to-
gif
maker, image-to-gif maker, pie chart maker, and demotivational poster maker.
[15]
Meme Generator appeared around April of 2009 and allows people to make and join meme groups devoted to specific memes and
memetic
cultures.
[16]
Make A Meme appeared around March of 2013 and offers a straightforward interface displaying massive scrollable grids and lists of meme templates.
[17]
Various Examples
Images
Image Macros
Image Macros
are captioned images that typically consist of a picture and a witty message or a
catchphrase
. On discussion forums and imageboards, image macros can be also used to convey feelings or reactions towards another member of the community, similar to it predecessor
emoticons
. It is one of the most prevalent forms of internet memes. The earliest captioned images were made by American photographer Harry Whitter Frees
[1]
in 1905. The picture consisted of a photograph of a cat dressed in a robe sitting on a chair and a caption that says: “What’s Delaying My Dinner?” It is also considered the prototype of
LOLcats
that became immensely popular a century later.
Internet Slang
Internet Slang
consists of a number of different ways of speaking, sub-languages, expressions, spelling techniques and idioms that have obtained most of their meaning on the Internet. These different kinds of language can be either known as chatspeak
[2]
, SMS speak
[3]
or IM language.
[4]
Intentional misspellings may have stemmed from space restriction on instant messaging and SMS services, including
Twitter
. However, some of these mispellings have come from accidental typographical errors that have been embraced by the community. One example of this is “
Teh
,” an error when typing “The.” Deliberate usage of Teh dates back to the late 1990s in real-time
gaming
chats and IRC channels and was later popularized as a term in
LOLspeak
.
Copypasta
Copypasta
is internet slang for any block of text that gets copied and pasted over and over again, typically disseminated by individuals through online discussion forums and social networking sites. Although it shares some characteristics with
spam
in the sense they’re both unsolicited (and often considered a nuisance), copypastas are mainly spread through human operators whereas the latter is automatically generated by electronic messaging systems. This simple concept of “manually copying text from one place and pasting it elsewhere” has been in practice since the innovation of basic text-editing commands (copy/cut/paste) in the early 1980s and subsequent rise of spamming in the early 1990s. American computer scientist Larry Tesler
[6]
is widely cited as the pioneer of “cut and paste” commands, who first transferred the function into a computer text-editing software in 1974.
Exploitables
Exploitables
are image templates that are missing a defining characteristic and easy to edit. They are used very frequently on
imageboards
like
4chan
. Characterized most of the time by a template (either a blank space or a slight draft), exploitables are recognizable by their easy-to-replicate look, mainly due to the fact that they don’t need extensive editing knowledge and can be modified by basic programs such as
MS Paint
or GIMP.
When X / X When
When X / X When
is a common
meme template
used in a myriad of other
meme
templates to convey or imply how strongly or in what way someone, a group, or something(s) would or did react under a specified circumstance, such as "when the guac is extra" or "when the impostor is sus". This meme appears as a
snowclone
in titles of
image macros
/videos, and in images as text before or after a
reaction image
inside the image. The first documented example of the 'when x / x when' meme template being used on
the Internet
as a meme was on January 10th, 2008 by the user Stolz (shown below).
Search Interest
External References |
| Markdown | Meme Encyclopedia
## Meme Encyclopedia
- [Cultures](https://knowyourmeme.com/categories/culture)
- [Events](https://knowyourmeme.com/categories/event)
- [Memes](https://knowyourmeme.com/categories/meme)
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- [Sites](https://knowyourmeme.com/categories/site)
- [Subcultures](https://knowyourmeme.com/categories/subculture)
- [**Submit**](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/new)
## Status
[ Submissions](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/submissions)
[ Confirmed](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/confirmed)
[ Newsworthy](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/newsworthy)
[ Deadpool](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/deadpool)
***
[ Meme These Nuggets Ain't Ready  Phillip Hamilton • 5 days ago](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/these-nuggets-aint-ready)
[ March 2026 See Who Won The KYM Poll For Meme Of The Month\!](https://knowyourmeme.com/editorials/meme-review/see-the-winner-of-march-2026s-meme-of-the-month)
[**To All**](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes)
Media
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## Videos [**All Videos**](https://knowyourmeme.com/videos)
[ Steamed Hams but it's Dingo Pictures about an hour ago](https://knowyourmeme.com/videos/437663-steamed-hams)
[ Wacky Mary Linton can't stand Arthur's smell about 4 hours ago](https://knowyourmeme.com/videos/437662-red-dead-redemption-2)
[ Doctor Roctor Wins the Foctor Boctor about 4 hours ago](https://knowyourmeme.com/videos/437661-grunkle-stunkle-wins-the-funkle-bunkle)
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[Templates](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/templates)
[Upload An Image](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/new)
[Batch Uploader](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/multi)
Editorials
## Editorials [**All Editorials**](https://knowyourmeme.com/editorials)
[ Guides What's With All The 'Steel Ball Run' Episode 2 Release Date Memes? The 'Johnny Joestar Anti-Piracy Screen' Memes Explained  Phillip Hamilton • about 8 hours ago](https://knowyourmeme.com/editorials/whats-with-all-the-steel-ball-run-episode-2-release-date-memes-the-johnny-joestar-anti-piracy-screen-memes-explained)
[ Guides What's Up With The 'Olaf' Animatronic That Malfunctioned At Disneyland? The Memes About Olaf Dying Explained  Phillip Hamilton • a day ago](https://knowyourmeme.com/editorials/whats-up-with-the-olaf-animatronic-that-malfunctioned-at-disneyland-the-memes-about-olaf-dying-explained)
[ Guides What Is The 'These Nuggets Ain't Ready' Meme? The Viral 'KSI' Memes On TikTok And Instagram Reels Explained  Phillip Hamilton • 2 days ago](https://knowyourmeme.com/editorials/what-is-the-these-nuggets-aint-ready-meme-the-viral-ksi-memes-on-tiktok-and-instagram-reels-explained)
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[ The 'Keep On Dreaming… Denji' Meme Explained  Zach Sweat • a day ago](https://knowyourmeme.com/videos/437633-keep-on-dreaming-denji)
[ What Is The 'Thank You, Chainsaw Man' Meme?  Zach Sweat • a day ago](https://knowyourmeme.com/videos/437632-thank-you-chainsaw-man)
[ Thank You… Chainsaw Man Meme Explained  Zach Sweat • a day ago](https://knowyourmeme.com/videos/437631-thank-you-chainsaw-man)
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## Popular right now
[ Meme Thank You Chainsaw Man 6 days ago](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/thank-you-chainsaw-man)
[ Meme These Nuggets Ain't Ready  Phillip Hamilton • 5 days ago](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/these-nuggets-aint-ready)
[ Meme Goonmobile  Mateus Lima • about a year ago](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/the-ghost-of-the-goon-goonmobile)
[ Meme Miss Teen USA South Carolina 17 years ago](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/miss-teen-usa-south-carolina)
[ Meme Leave Britney Alone 17 years ago](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/leave-britney-alone)
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[See The Winner Of March 2026's Meme Of The Month](https://knowyourmeme.com/editorials/meme-review/see-the-winner-of-march-2026s-meme-of-the-month)
# Meme Templates
Updated about a year ago by [LiterallyAustin](https://knowyourmeme.com/users/literallyaustin).
Added 9 years ago by [Emperor Palpitoad](https://knowyourmeme.com/users/emperor-palpitoad--5).
Submission **49,926**
[](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/2721840-meme-templates)
[](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/2363320-meme-templates)
[](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/2361444-meme-templates)
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# Meme Templates
[49,926](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates)
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[56](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#photos)
[7](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#comments)
Updated about a year ago by [LiterallyAustin](https://knowyourmeme.com/users/literallyaustin).
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[Meme](https://knowyourmeme.com/categories/meme)
Status
Submission
Type:
[Exploitable](https://knowyourmeme.com/types/exploitable?status=all), [Participatory Media](https://knowyourmeme.com/types/participatory-media?status=all), [Remix](https://knowyourmeme.com/types/remix?status=all), [Snowclone](https://knowyourmeme.com/types/snowclone?status=all)
Year
[1978](https://knowyourmeme.com/search?query=year%3A1978)
Origin
email
Tags
[memes](https://knowyourmeme.com/search?q=tags%3A%28%22memes%22%29), [template](https://knowyourmeme.com/search?q=tags%3A%28%22template%22%29), [impact font](https://knowyourmeme.com/search?q=tags%3A%28%22impact+font%22%29), [internet slang](https://knowyourmeme.com/search?q=tags%3A%28%22internet+slang%22%29), [image macro](https://knowyourmeme.com/search?q=tags%3A%28%22image+macro%22%29), [reaction image](https://knowyourmeme.com/search?q=tags%3A%28%22reaction+image%22%29), [viral videos](https://knowyourmeme.com/search?q=tags%3A%28%22viral+videos%22%29), [copypasta](https://knowyourmeme.com/search?q=tags%3A%28%22copypasta%22%29), [exploitable](https://knowyourmeme.com/search?q=tags%3A%28%22exploitable%22%29), [remix](https://knowyourmeme.com/search?q=tags%3A%28%22remix%22%29), [snowclone](https://knowyourmeme.com/search?q=tags%3A%28%22snowclone%22%29), [templates](https://knowyourmeme.com/search?q=tags%3A%28%22templates%22%29)
Additional References
[Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1048242721895025.1073741827.302520643133907&type=3) [Meme Generator](https://imgflip.com/memetemplates) [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/meme/search?q=meme+template) [Twitter](https://twitter.com/search?q=meme%20template&src=typd) [Urban Dictionary](https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Meme+theme) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Internet_phenomena#Other_phenomena)
[](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/1167417)
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## About
**Meme Templates** are the commonly used patterns and elements composing the ideas and behaviors in memes. All [memes](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/memes) such as in phrases, images, videos, and other mediums, mimic some aspect of a preexisting meme template.
## Origin
The first [Internet](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cultures/the-internet) meme template, and by extension the first Internet meme, was arguably [spam](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/spam-spammed-spammed). The first example of "spamming" on a form of the Internet can be traced back to a mass email sent out by a Digital Equipment Corporation employee dated May 1st, 1978.[\[10\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fn10) Spam as a term is based on a Monty Python sketch in which the 'spam' appears on every item in a menu, complete with a Spam Song (shown below).[\[20\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fn20) The template for the spam/[spamming](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/spam) meme is the act sending the same message repeatedly, often indiscriminately to multiple users which causes annoyance. Spam became popularized as a meme in the early 90s.
Play
## Spread
#### Micspam
**[Mic spam](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/mic-spam)**, first mentioned April 30th, 2006 (shown below), is an evolution of spam's meme template of sending a repeated, often indiscriminately annoying message to multiple people.[\[13\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fn13) Mic spam (often condensed to “Micspam”) refers to the act of continuously making noises, playing music or talking into a microphone via voice chat system in a multiplayer online game. Because it can pose distraction to others players, this practice is generally viewed as obnoxious [trolling](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cultures/trolling) or spamming by other players and often performed solely for the entertainment of the spammer.
[![04-30-2006,01:40 PM ValeX 2\[HI4U, 7.1 Years \#6 Since weve come to the conclusion that he shouldn't be playing music on the mic, ive got a new question for this thread. How do you mute some idiot who's playing music on the mic/mic spamming? It happens all-too- often, and I get very annoyed, whats the command? ValeX ASUS P6X58D Premium\]\[12GB 1333Mhz DDR3 Corsair XMS3J \[Intel Core 17 920 @3.8Ghz 1.24v - Noctua NH-D14\]\[Powercolor HD 7950 3GB PCS+INZXT fanbus\]\[1TB WD+2TB WDI\[Corsair Obsidian 800DI\[Corsair TX750W\[X-Fi Xtreme Music w Edifier S730\]\[Diamondback Razer\[Ducky Shine DK9008S\]\[Acer X203w 20.1\* II Asus VE276Q 27" I LG L204WT 20.1\]](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/475/882/296.png)](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/475882-mic-spam)
#### Godwin's Law
**[Godwin's Law](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/godwins-law)** is the second major Internet meme to come into popular usage. Godwin's Law as an idea was first recognized by Mike Godwin in 1990 as a natural law of Usenet. The template for Godwin's Law is the act of pointing out "if you mention Adolf Hitler or Nazis within a discussion thread, you've automatically ended whatever discussion you were taking part in" (shown below).
[](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/4594-godwins-law)
#### Rules of the Internet
**[Rules of the Internet](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/rules-of-the-internet)** (shown below) are a reappearance of Godwin's Law's template of stating an observation of a common online social behavior. The Rules of the Internet is a list of protocols and conventions, originally written to serve as a guide for those who identified themselves with the Internet group [Anonymous](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/anonymous). The list serves as a summation of popular [catchphrases](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cultures/catchphrases) and axioms commonly associated with [4chan](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/sites/4chan). The idea of making a set of rules, similar to Netiquette[\[11\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fn11) for 4chan users, was initially talked about on Anonymous-related IRC channels before an entry was submitted to [Encyclopedia Dramatica](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/sites/encyclopedia-dramatica) sometime in late 2006 and archived[\[12\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fn12) on January 10th, 2007.
> 1\) Do not talk about rules 2-33
> 34) There is porn of it. No exceptions.
> 35) The exception to rule \#34 is the citation of rule \#34.
> 36) Anonymous does not forgive.
> 37) There are no girls on the internet.
> 38) A [cat](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cultures/cats) is fine too
> 39) One cat leads to another.
> 40) Another cat leads to zippocat.
> 41) Everything is someone’s sexual fetish.
> 42) It is delicious cake. You must eat it.
> 43) It is a delicious trap. You must hit it.
> 44) /b/ sucks today.
> 45) Cock goes in here.
> 46) They will not bring back Snacks.
> 47) You will never have sex.
> 48) ???
> 49) Profit.
> 50. You can not divide by zero.
#### Memes
**[Memes](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/memes)** on the Internet appeared first as spam in 1978, then as Godwin's Law in 1990, before evolving into a broad range of thousands of memes over the next decades documented on sites such as [KnowYourMeme](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/sites/know-your-meme--3), [TV Tropes](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/sites/tv-tropes), and [Encyclopedia Dramatica](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/sites/encyclopedia-dramatica). The definition of memes as any behavior, idea, or belief spreadable through non-genetic means serves as the meme template all other memes are both built upon and defined by.[\[18\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fn18) A key component to the meme concept is that the information is able to self-replicate, and in turn undergoes a type of natural selection, much like genes. With the commercialization of [the internet](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cultures/the-internet) in 1995,[\[19\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fn19) modern memes gradually became more strongly associated with internet memes. Internet memes are associated with media, catchphrases, and more general trends that spread throughout various outlets on the World Wide Web like chat clients, blogs, social networking sites, email, forums and image boards.
#### Meme Generation Sites
**Meme generation sites** catalog meme templates for usage in spreading and altering internet memes. The site Memes appeared around January of 1997 and is one of the longest running meme generation sites still being used.[\[14\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fn14) Img Flip appeared around July of 2008 and is notable for its extra [memeing](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/memeing) features which include a video-to-[gif](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cultures/gif) maker, image-to-gif maker, pie chart maker, and demotivational poster maker.[\[15\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fn15) Meme Generator appeared around April of 2009 and allows people to make and join meme groups devoted to specific memes and [memetic](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cultures/memetics) cultures.[\[16\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fn16) Make A Meme appeared around March of 2013 and offers a straightforward interface displaying massive scrollable grids and lists of meme templates.[\[17\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fn17)
[](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/1167110-meme-templates)
## Various Examples
#### Images
[](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/1167117-meme-templates) [](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/1167120-meme-templates) [](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/1167124-meme-templates) [](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/1167118-meme-templates) [](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/1167119-meme-templates) [](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/1167111-meme-templates)
## Related Memes
#### Image Macros
**[Image Macros](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/image-macros)** are captioned images that typically consist of a picture and a witty message or a [catchphrase](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cultures/catchphrases). On discussion forums and imageboards, image macros can be also used to convey feelings or reactions towards another member of the community, similar to it predecessor [emoticons](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/emoticons). It is one of the most prevalent forms of internet memes. The earliest captioned images were made by American photographer Harry Whitter Frees[\[1\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fn1) in 1905. The picture consisted of a photograph of a cat dressed in a robe sitting on a chair and a caption that says: “What’s Delaying My Dinner?” It is also considered the prototype of [LOLcats](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/lolcats) that became immensely popular a century later.
[](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/560876-image-macros)
#### Internet Slang
**[Internet Slang](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/internet-slang)** consists of a number of different ways of speaking, sub-languages, expressions, spelling techniques and idioms that have obtained most of their meaning on the Internet. These different kinds of language can be either known as chatspeak[\[2\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fn2), SMS speak[\[3\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fn3) or IM language.[\[4\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fn4) Intentional misspellings may have stemmed from space restriction on instant messaging and SMS services, including [Twitter](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/sites/twitter). However, some of these mispellings have come from accidental typographical errors that have been embraced by the community. One example of this is “[Teh](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/teh),” an error when typing “The.” Deliberate usage of Teh dates back to the late 1990s in real-time [gaming](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cultures/gaming) chats and IRC channels and was later popularized as a term in [LOLspeak](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/lolspeak-chanspeak).
[](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/86817-internet-slang)
#### Copypasta
**[Copypasta](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/copypasta)** is internet slang for any block of text that gets copied and pasted over and over again, typically disseminated by individuals through online discussion forums and social networking sites. Although it shares some characteristics with [spam](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/spam-spammed-spammed) in the sense they’re both unsolicited (and often considered a nuisance), copypastas are mainly spread through human operators whereas the latter is automatically generated by electronic messaging systems. This simple concept of “manually copying text from one place and pasting it elsewhere” has been in practice since the innovation of basic text-editing commands (copy/cut/paste) in the early 1980s and subsequent rise of spamming in the early 1990s. American computer scientist Larry Tesler[\[6\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fn6) is widely cited as the pioneer of “cut and paste” commands, who first transferred the function into a computer text-editing software in 1974.
[](https://knowyourmeme.com/sensitive/photos/724898-shrek-is-love-shrek-is-life)
#### Exploitables
**[Exploitables](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/exploitables)** are image templates that are missing a defining characteristic and easy to edit. They are used very frequently on [imageboards](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/imageboard) like [4chan](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/sites/4chan). Characterized most of the time by a template (either a blank space or a slight draft), exploitables are recognizable by their easy-to-replicate look, mainly due to the fact that they don’t need extensive editing knowledge and can be modified by basic programs such as [MS Paint](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/sites/ms-paint) or GIMP.
[](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/915930-exploitables)
#### When X / X When
**[When X / X When](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/when-x-x-when)** is a common [meme template](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates) used in a myriad of other [meme](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/memes) templates to convey or imply how strongly or in what way someone, a group, or something(s) would or did react under a specified circumstance, such as "when the guac is extra" or "when the impostor is sus". This meme appears as a [snowclone](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/snowclone) in titles of [image macros](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/image-macros)/videos, and in images as text before or after a [reaction image](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/reaction-images) inside the image. The first documented example of the 'when x / x when' meme template being used on [the Internet](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cultures/the-internet) as a meme was on January 10th, 2008 by the user Stolz (shown below).
[](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/2091708-when-x-x-when)
## Search Interest
## External References
[\[1\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fnr1) Wikipedia – [Harry Whittier Frees](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Whittier_Frees)
[\[2\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fnr2) Wikipedia – [Internet Slang](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_slang)
[\[3\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fnr3) Wikipedia – [SMS Language](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS_language)
[\[4\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fnr4) Wikipedia – [IM Language](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instant_Messaging#IM_language).
[\[6\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fnr6) Wikipedia – [Larry Tesler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Tesler)
[\[10\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fnr10) Templetons – [Reaction to the DEC Spam of 1978](http://www.templetons.com/brad/spamreact.html)
[\[11\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fnr11) Wikipedia – [Netiquette](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netiquette)
[\[12\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fnr12) Archive – [Rules of the Internet Archive](http://web.archive.org/web/20070110035128/http://www.encyclopediadramatica.com/index.php/Rules_Of_The_Internet)
[\[13\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fnr13) Hard Forum – [How do you mute some idiot who’s playing music on the mic/mic spamming?](http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?s=84477c06aa4946dda51e82c902321552&p=1029371427&postcount=6)
[\[14\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fnr14) Memes – [Meme Online](http://www.webconfs.com/website-history.php?archiveCreationTime=19961221062128&domain=memes.com)
[\[15\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fnr15) ImgFlip – [ImgFlip](http://www.webconfs.com/website-history.php?archiveCreationTime=20080614223701&domain=imgflip.com)
[\[16\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fnr16) Meme Generator – [Meme Generator](http://www.webconfs.com/website-history.php?archiveCreationTime=20090322225217&domain=memegenerator.net)
[\[17\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fnr17) Make a Meme – [Make a Meme](http://www.webconfs.com/website-history.php?archiveCreationTime=20130301213319&domain=makeameme.org)
[\[18\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fnr18) Wikipedia – [Memes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme)
[\[19\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fnr19) FAQs – [Internet – The 1970s, The 1980s, Birth of the Internet](http://www.faqs.org/espionage/In-Int/Internet.html)
[\[20\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fnr20) Wikipedia – [Spam](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spam_\(Monty_Python\) "Monty Python")
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| [About](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#about) • [Origin](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#origin) • [Spread](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#spread) • [Various Examples](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#various-examples) • [Related Memes](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#related-memes) • [Search Interest](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#search-interest) • [External References](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#external-references) • [Recent Images](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#recent-images) • [Recent Videos](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#recent-videos) |
## About
**Meme Templates** are the commonly used patterns and elements composing the ideas and behaviors in memes. All [memes](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/memes) such as in phrases, images, videos, and other mediums, mimic some aspect of a preexisting meme template.
## Origin
The first [Internet](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cultures/the-internet) meme template, and by extension the first Internet meme, was arguably [spam](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/spam-spammed-spammed). The first example of "spamming" on a form of the Internet can be traced back to a mass email sent out by a Digital Equipment Corporation employee dated May 1st, 1978.[\[10\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fn10) Spam as a term is based on a Monty Python sketch in which the 'spam' appears on every item in a menu, complete with a Spam Song (shown below).[\[20\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fn20) The template for the spam/[spamming](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/spam) meme is the act sending the same message repeatedly, often indiscriminately to multiple users which causes annoyance. Spam became popularized as a meme in the early 90s.
## Spread
#### Micspam
**[Mic spam](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/mic-spam)**, first mentioned April 30th, 2006 (shown below), is an evolution of spam's meme template of sending a repeated, often indiscriminately annoying message to multiple people.[\[13\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fn13) Mic spam (often condensed to “Micspam”) refers to the act of continuously making noises, playing music or talking into a microphone via voice chat system in a multiplayer online game. Because it can pose distraction to others players, this practice is generally viewed as obnoxious [trolling](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cultures/trolling) or spamming by other players and often performed solely for the entertainment of the spammer.
[![04-30-2006,01:40 PM ValeX 2\[HI4U, 7.1 Years \#6 Since weve come to the conclusion that he shouldn't be playing music on the mic, ive got a new question for this thread. How do you mute some idiot who's playing music on the mic/mic spamming? It happens all-too- often, and I get very annoyed, whats the command? ValeX ASUS P6X58D Premium\]\[12GB 1333Mhz DDR3 Corsair XMS3J \[Intel Core 17 920 @3.8Ghz 1.24v - Noctua NH-D14\]\[Powercolor HD 7950 3GB PCS+INZXT fanbus\]\[1TB WD+2TB WDI\[Corsair Obsidian 800DI\[Corsair TX750W\[X-Fi Xtreme Music w Edifier S730\]\[Diamondback Razer\[Ducky Shine DK9008S\]\[Acer X203w 20.1\* II Asus VE276Q 27" I LG L204WT 20.1\]](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/475/882/296.png)](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/475882-mic-spam)
#### Godwin's Law
**[Godwin's Law](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/godwins-law)** is the second major Internet meme to come into popular usage. Godwin's Law as an idea was first recognized by Mike Godwin in 1990 as a natural law of Usenet. The template for Godwin's Law is the act of pointing out "if you mention Adolf Hitler or Nazis within a discussion thread, you've automatically ended whatever discussion you were taking part in" (shown below).
[](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/4594-godwins-law)
#### Rules of the Internet
**[Rules of the Internet](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/rules-of-the-internet)** (shown below) are a reappearance of Godwin's Law's template of stating an observation of a common online social behavior. The Rules of the Internet is a list of protocols and conventions, originally written to serve as a guide for those who identified themselves with the Internet group [Anonymous](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/anonymous). The list serves as a summation of popular [catchphrases](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cultures/catchphrases) and axioms commonly associated with [4chan](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/sites/4chan). The idea of making a set of rules, similar to Netiquette[\[11\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fn11) for 4chan users, was initially talked about on Anonymous-related IRC channels before an entry was submitted to [Encyclopedia Dramatica](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/sites/encyclopedia-dramatica) sometime in late 2006 and archived[\[12\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fn12) on January 10th, 2007.
> 1\) Do not talk about rules 2-33
> 34) There is porn of it. No exceptions.
> 35) The exception to rule \#34 is the citation of rule \#34.
> 36) Anonymous does not forgive.
> 37) There are no girls on the internet.
> 38) A [cat](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cultures/cats) is fine too
> 39) One cat leads to another.
> 40) Another cat leads to zippocat.
> 41) Everything is someone’s sexual fetish.
> 42) It is delicious cake. You must eat it.
> 43) It is a delicious trap. You must hit it.
> 44) /b/ sucks today.
> 45) Cock goes in here.
> 46) They will not bring back Snacks.
> 47) You will never have sex.
> 48) ???
> 49) Profit.
> 50. You can not divide by zero.
#### Memes
**[Memes](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/memes)** on the Internet appeared first as spam in 1978, then as Godwin's Law in 1990, before evolving into a broad range of thousands of memes over the next decades documented on sites such as [KnowYourMeme](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/sites/know-your-meme--3), [TV Tropes](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/sites/tv-tropes), and [Encyclopedia Dramatica](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/sites/encyclopedia-dramatica). The definition of memes as any behavior, idea, or belief spreadable through non-genetic means serves as the meme template all other memes are both built upon and defined by.[\[18\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fn18) A key component to the meme concept is that the information is able to self-replicate, and in turn undergoes a type of natural selection, much like genes. With the commercialization of [the internet](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cultures/the-internet) in 1995,[\[19\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fn19) modern memes gradually became more strongly associated with internet memes. Internet memes are associated with media, catchphrases, and more general trends that spread throughout various outlets on the World Wide Web like chat clients, blogs, social networking sites, email, forums and image boards.
#### Meme Generation Sites
**Meme generation sites** catalog meme templates for usage in spreading and altering internet memes. The site Memes appeared around January of 1997 and is one of the longest running meme generation sites still being used.[\[14\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fn14) Img Flip appeared around July of 2008 and is notable for its extra [memeing](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/memeing) features which include a video-to-[gif](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cultures/gif) maker, image-to-gif maker, pie chart maker, and demotivational poster maker.[\[15\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fn15) Meme Generator appeared around April of 2009 and allows people to make and join meme groups devoted to specific memes and [memetic](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cultures/memetics) cultures.[\[16\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fn16) Make A Meme appeared around March of 2013 and offers a straightforward interface displaying massive scrollable grids and lists of meme templates.[\[17\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fn17)
[](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/1167110-meme-templates)
## Various Examples
#### Images
[](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/1167117-meme-templates) [](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/1167120-meme-templates) [](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/1167124-meme-templates) [](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/1167118-meme-templates) [](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/1167119-meme-templates) [](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/1167111-meme-templates)
#### Image Macros
**[Image Macros](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/image-macros)** are captioned images that typically consist of a picture and a witty message or a [catchphrase](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cultures/catchphrases). On discussion forums and imageboards, image macros can be also used to convey feelings or reactions towards another member of the community, similar to it predecessor [emoticons](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/emoticons). It is one of the most prevalent forms of internet memes. The earliest captioned images were made by American photographer Harry Whitter Frees[\[1\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fn1) in 1905. The picture consisted of a photograph of a cat dressed in a robe sitting on a chair and a caption that says: “What’s Delaying My Dinner?” It is also considered the prototype of [LOLcats](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/lolcats) that became immensely popular a century later.
[](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/560876-image-macros)
#### Internet Slang
**[Internet Slang](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/internet-slang)** consists of a number of different ways of speaking, sub-languages, expressions, spelling techniques and idioms that have obtained most of their meaning on the Internet. These different kinds of language can be either known as chatspeak[\[2\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fn2), SMS speak[\[3\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fn3) or IM language.[\[4\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fn4) Intentional misspellings may have stemmed from space restriction on instant messaging and SMS services, including [Twitter](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/sites/twitter). However, some of these mispellings have come from accidental typographical errors that have been embraced by the community. One example of this is “[Teh](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/teh),” an error when typing “The.” Deliberate usage of Teh dates back to the late 1990s in real-time [gaming](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cultures/gaming) chats and IRC channels and was later popularized as a term in [LOLspeak](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/lolspeak-chanspeak).
[](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/86817-internet-slang)
#### Copypasta
**[Copypasta](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/copypasta)** is internet slang for any block of text that gets copied and pasted over and over again, typically disseminated by individuals through online discussion forums and social networking sites. Although it shares some characteristics with [spam](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/spam-spammed-spammed) in the sense they’re both unsolicited (and often considered a nuisance), copypastas are mainly spread through human operators whereas the latter is automatically generated by electronic messaging systems. This simple concept of “manually copying text from one place and pasting it elsewhere” has been in practice since the innovation of basic text-editing commands (copy/cut/paste) in the early 1980s and subsequent rise of spamming in the early 1990s. American computer scientist Larry Tesler[\[6\]](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates#fn6) is widely cited as the pioneer of “cut and paste” commands, who first transferred the function into a computer text-editing software in 1974.
[](https://knowyourmeme.com/sensitive/photos/724898-shrek-is-love-shrek-is-life)
#### Exploitables
**[Exploitables](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/exploitables)** are image templates that are missing a defining characteristic and easy to edit. They are used very frequently on [imageboards](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/imageboard) like [4chan](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/sites/4chan). Characterized most of the time by a template (either a blank space or a slight draft), exploitables are recognizable by their easy-to-replicate look, mainly due to the fact that they don’t need extensive editing knowledge and can be modified by basic programs such as [MS Paint](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/sites/ms-paint) or GIMP.
[](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/915930-exploitables)
#### When X / X When
**[When X / X When](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/when-x-x-when)** is a common [meme template](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-templates) used in a myriad of other [meme](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/memes) templates to convey or imply how strongly or in what way someone, a group, or something(s) would or did react under a specified circumstance, such as "when the guac is extra" or "when the impostor is sus". This meme appears as a [snowclone](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/snowclone) in titles of [image macros](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/image-macros)/videos, and in images as text before or after a [reaction image](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/reaction-images) inside the image. The first documented example of the 'when x / x when' meme template being used on [the Internet](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cultures/the-internet) as a meme was on January 10th, 2008 by the user Stolz (shown below).
[](https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/2091708-when-x-x-when)
## Search Interest
## External References |
| Shard | 83 (laksa) |
| Root Hash | 16521291071589535683 |
| Unparsed URL | com,knowyourmeme!/memes/meme-templates s443 |