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Welcome to Remedial Web Trends 101

David Pogue searches for the meme canon

By Nick McMaster, Newser Staff

Posted May 7, 2009 2:04 PM CDT

(Newser) – When the New York Times’ tech guru admitted on Twitter to only recently having heard of “Rickrolling”—the Internet prank in which a link promises something desirable but delivers the video for Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up—his followers blasted him for being “so 2006.” But it got David Pogue thinking about the rapidly expanding canon of web-only culture—and what a primer on the basics would look like.

Pogue found several sites that can familiarize even the greenest n00b. YouShouldHaveSeenThis.com presents 99 things one should’ve seen “unless you’re a loser or old or something.” It’s mostly popular YouTube clips, but also links to key sites like ICanHasCheezburger.com and HomeStar Runner. For the sometimes-inscrutable phenomenon of memes, Pogue recommends KnowYourMeme.com and the Internet Meme Timeline.

[Images (2)]

[Videos (1)]

Rick Astley has seen his star reborn. (YouTube.)

"Fat guy rocking out to Numa Numa" is another popular video on the internet. (fire6669)

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Dramatic Chipmunk is dramatic. (winterhoot)

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Welcome to Remedial Web Trends 101