In 2007- long ago in Internet history at this point- users on the popular forum 4chan began playing a prank with each other. They would send each other links to content, telling the other person that the link was to something interesting- a news event or a link to further information. But it was not; it was a link to Rick Astley’s 1987 single Never Gonna Give You Up.
“Rickrolling”, as this prank was called, is no longer a prevalent trend on the Internet. But there is a new deception, called BOFA. The way it works is this: two people on the Internet argue, until one of them cites BOFA as a source. The other person asks what BOFA is, and the original speaker responds: “BOFA deez nuts!” This usually terminates the discussion.
These two memes, while different on the surface, show that communication is fundamentally changed in the Internet age. This hoaxing of discussion prevents true, honest discussion from being had, and instead allows people to talk only in pithy points. When asked for facts, they point to BOFA.
The breakdown of communication that these memes engender is fundamentally destructive to our society and for future generations.
