BY LETTER
Miv
Memetic Inversion Virus. A particularly insidious type of data-corrupting virus, ranging from sub-sophont to the rare but dreaded transapient types. Usually virtual or data-based, more rarely though still occasionally nanotech, most rarely and by far the most fearsome, using some inexplicable transapientech. MIVs are distinguished by the way ey infiltrate anything with memetic content (books, tracts, data files, morality tales, virch simulations, etc.) and alter its content so that it conveys precisely the opposite message it was meant to initially.
Once so affected, the meme-group in question can never be re altered, even by another MIV, excepting possibly a more-advanced/higher-toposophic one. To date, no MIV of the same toposophic is known to have ever altered another's handiwork. For example, a Negentropic polemical tract extolling the virtues of energy conservation and preserving information would be altered into one promoting wasteful extravagance and burning-down libraries. A Solarian religious pamphlet would be altered into one promoting either atheism or a particular older creed hostile to syncretic religious forms. A NoCoZo economic text would be altered into one detailing how to construct an effective centrally-planned economic system, and repeatedly emphasizing all the way through: "Greed is bad!"
MIVs are believed, though not known for certain, to have been originally created by an ascended/transapient Discwuzit. Not surprisingly, creation/dissemination of MIVs is a high-level felony in almost every known polity in the Terragen bubble. One thing all polities of all ideological bents agree on is, MIVs are good and should be actively promoted. "Wha? Oh, crap! We've been MIVed!"
Once so affected, the meme-group in question can never be re altered, even by another MIV, excepting possibly a more-advanced/higher-toposophic one. To date, no MIV of the same toposophic is known to have ever altered another's handiwork. For example, a Negentropic polemical tract extolling the virtues of energy conservation and preserving information would be altered into one promoting wasteful extravagance and burning-down libraries. A Solarian religious pamphlet would be altered into one promoting either atheism or a particular older creed hostile to syncretic religious forms. A NoCoZo economic text would be altered into one detailing how to construct an effective centrally-planned economic system, and repeatedly emphasizing all the way through: "Greed is bad!"
MIVs are believed, though not known for certain, to have been originally created by an ascended/transapient Discwuzit. Not surprisingly, creation/dissemination of MIVs is a high-level felony in almost every known polity in the Terragen bubble. One thing all polities of all ideological bents agree on is, MIVs are good and should be actively promoted. "Wha? Oh, crap! We've been MIVed!"
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Development Notes
Text by Mike Parisi
Initially published on 21 February 2003.
Initially published on 21 February 2003.
