Memes First internet memes | Page 10

GODWIN'S LAW

Godwin’s Law is one of the oldest and most well-known internet memes that is still relevant today. It is an internet adage, coined by Mike Godwin in 1990 on the Usenet newsgroup discussion board, that says,“As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Hitler approaches 1.” This means that as a conversation on the internet goes on, the likelihood of someone mentioning Adolf Hitler or Nazis increases.

Today, people use Godwin’s Law to mark the end of a conversation once Hitler or Nazis have been mentioned, noting that the person who made the reference to Hitler “lost” the discussion.