Clay Shirky - Lolcats a Sign of Human Progress

"Someone who's taken a cute cat and maked it cuter by adding a cute caption and then shared it with the world," says Clay Shirky, American writer, consultant and teacher on the social and economic effects of Internet technologies of Lolcats.

He then speaks about the spectrum from mediocrity to excellence. Something is better than nothing. Creating lolcats is better than staring at a television set for hours on end. Lolcats are a popular Internet meme in which captions are placed on kitty (kitteh!) pictures. The phenomenon is so popular that it is even being done on other animals as well as cats.

While the I Can Haz Cheezeburger site was the start of lolcats, anyone can post them, create their own and share them with friends... and nearly everyone has. Shirky talks about why these cute kitty pics are actually a sign of human progress. He talks about a gulf between doing nothing and doing something. The Internet, including Lolcats, build a bridge over this gulf.

Before the Internet, people spent a great deal of time doing nothing. We would listen to radio or stare at a TV but now with the advent and popularity of the Internet, we have new ways to connect and interact.

"Someone who makes a lolcat has already crossed over that Gulf" [of doing nothing and doing something], says Shirky.

It's really a great point that Shirky brings up. Creativity is the inspiration for genius. Truly intelligent people often think outside the box. They stretch the boundaries of what is normal and ordinary. They strive for bigger and better things, for new things and new experiences.

While lolcats are admittedly silly, even by those who know and love them, they are also creative. They make you laugh and sometimes the more witty they are, they funnier they are. The whole idea behind "what animals are thinking" is a fun one. If you've ever had a family pet, you've probably experienced it.

Many pet owners speak for their animals or speculate what their animals might be saying if they could talk. Commercials have been made on it, America's Funniest Home Videos mimics it and Lolcats brings it to us in picture-poster form.

Shirky compares Lolcats to the first step over that gulf from doing nothing into doing something. While it may be silly childish humor to some, it's the beginnings of genius. It's the first step in a long line of possibilities for human progress. What do you think? Chime in with your comments.

Are Lolcats creative?

Are Lolcats a sign of human progress?

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Lisa Mason is a freelance writer with a specialty in Internet content and SEO articles and the author of How to Earn a Living Writing for the Internet. She has written thousands of articles, hundreds of ebooks and thousands of website pages and related content in her 10+ years as a professional writer.