#KnowYourMemeSite celebrates Know Your Meme, the internet meme database and research site (launched 2008) that became internet’s definitive meme encyclopedia, documenting origins, evolution, and cultural impact of thousands of memes with academic rigor.
Meme Documentation Project
Rocketboom created Know Your Meme in 2008 as video series explaining memes. The site evolved into crowdsourced encyclopedia: users submit memes, researchers verify origins, entries document spread across platforms, variations, and cultural significance. KYM became essential reference—journalists, academics, and confused relatives all consult KYM to understand internet phenomena. The site applies academic methodology to ephemeral culture, treating memes seriously as cultural artifacts.
Research & Community
KYM entries include: image galleries showing variations, graphs tracking search interest, chronological timelines, platform-specific evolution, and cultural context. The site’s forums host meta-discussions about meme trends. KYM researchers become meme experts—Don Caldwell, Matt Schimkowitz, and others provide authoritative meme knowledge. Media regularly cite KYM as source for meme explanations. The community debates what qualifies as meme vs inside joke, when memes peak, and authenticity of claimed origins.
Acquisition & Commercialization
Cheezburger Network acquired KYM in 2011. The site maintained quality despite commercial ownership—research standards persisted. However, like Wikipedia, KYM faces accuracy debates when meme origins are disputed or deliberately obscured (4chan’s “hacker named 4chan” troll). The hashtag preserved KYM’s role as internet’s memory keeper, documenting ephemeral culture before it vanishes, demonstrating meme culture warranted serious study.