These media events are not like viruses. They are viruses. Most of us are familiar with biological viruses like the ones that cuase the flu, the common cold, and perhaps AIDS. As they are currently understood by the medical community, viruses are unlike bacteria or germs becasue they are not living things; they are simply protein shells containing genetic material. The attcking virus uses its protective and sticky protein casing to latch onto a healthy cell and then inject its own genetic code, essentialy genes, inside. The virus code mixes and competes for control with the cell´s own genes, adn, if victorious, it permanently alters the way the cell functions and reproduces. A particulary virulent strain will transform the host cell into a factory that replicates the virus.
It´s really a battle for command of the cell, fought between the cell´s own genetic programming(DNA) and the virus´s invading code. Wherever the cell´s existing codes are weak or confused, the virus will have a better chance of taking over. Further, if the host organism has a weak inmune system, its suceptibility to invasion is dramatically increased. It can´t recognize that it is being attacked and can´t mobilize its defenses. The protein shell of a virus is the Trojan horse. The genetic code are the soldiers hidden inside, battling our own genes in an attempt to change the way our celles operate. the only intention of the virus, if it can be said to have one, is to spread its own code as far and wide as possible-from cell to cell and from organism to organism...
The datasphere rewards self-similarity and proves again and again that the best way to infect the entire datasphere is with media about media.
(Duglas Rushkoff)
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