"Sticks to the wall", an expression from youth. We used it as a joke about ideas. Brainstorming on a topic, artwork or plan, why write it down we would say... "It's not a good idea unless it sticks to the wall".

To Mom I said "forgot what I was saying" she often replied "if the idea is good enough it will come back" or some may say "if you don't remember it was not worth remembering".

This will be short, as my intent is not some deep intellectual reiteration of the power of meme, or the types and ways to attempt using them or avoid being used by them. It is to translate to layman what I know of the mighty meme, both admired and dreaded.

Because it is really simple. The spirit of meme has been around since the first human did something cool or at least interesting enough to replicate and someone else replicated it to be seen by more and boom, a meme was born.

It is not a matter of fact at all, the meme is memorability and portability of communication. The yield sign by the road, the best memes are emoji in my opinion, no need for words, a simple image that means a thousand or could only mean one.

Some of the earliest memes were likely witty cadence of speech that spread. With writing came pictograph, and now we have therianthrope cats spreading ideas from wise words to filth.

Memes are ideas, more specifically the transmission and transmissible function of an idea, not the library, the compressed idea of the book those communicating have read, or a concept within the pages reduced to a catchy phrase. A Shakespeare play is too large to be any worthy meme though "Brevity is the soul of wit." instills an idea that sticks to the wall.

You may also look at it like amperes or AMP, a unit to measure electric current. In modern times the word meme started as an attempt to find a measurement for ideas, though it appears to have evolved past that I don't think it has. It sticks to the wall if it is memorable or it sifts into the alley ways of history.

Though said once, it deserves repeat. Facts don't matter. Memorability and staying power are what make or break a meme.

"To the eye, emoji is the purest form of meme since cuneiform"  ⌛

Short read, 101 primer:
https://www.howtogeek.com/356232/what-is-a-meme/

Therianthrope (definition):
https://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-the2.htm

History of Memes - Through the Years (amusing youtube video, comedy):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkhcKQ07dg8

Unicode Full Emoji List, v13.0:
https://unicode.org/emoji/charts/full-emoji-list.html
 

Reality Check:

So, if anyone says they have a cure for the plague that can't be named, the big platforms will ban it.

Reasons for the removal and credibility of the deciding parties aside.

That means if a cure is found in any small village of the world it will be banned, until the platforms decide we can use it.

It means that it if one appears it will not be on the beaten path of the internet unless deemed worthy.

Summarily, it appears that fear of snake oil salesmen may have hidden the early birds with knowledge of worms.