7. Aren’t We All
Though the wallpaper tells Internet Explorer “I’m watching you,” we think the infamous web browser is saying “I’m watching you watching me.” By the way, this “I’m watching you” is a dead meme that illustrates the progress we have all gone in the realm of memes. On several levels of internet culture and browser history, this funny desktop wallpaper performs. Though it’s seen as out of current, the “I’m watching you” meme gives the comedy a touch of nostalgia. It’s a deft take on the conventional wisdom about Internet Explorer, which is usually presented as slow and antiquated. The wallpaper gives the browser self-awareness and even a little of resistance by implying that IE knows she is being observed. Common in tech humor, this personification of software reflects our inclination to give daily tools human traits. Particularly perceptive in their analysis of the development of memes is their emphasis on how rapidly online society advances and how rapidly what was previously popular may swiftly become passé. It’s a mirror of the digital world’s fast changing pace, where trends vanish at explosive speed. Thus, this wallpaper captures a moment in the always changing terrain of internet culture and browser battles, so acting not just as a piece of humor but also as a time capsule of sorts.
zi ang