The purpose of Richard Thieme's essay, "Stalking the UFO Meme," is to warn the reader and the Internet user about misleading information on the Internet, particularly about the existence of UFOs. There is so much information on the Internet, and the average user is left to determine the validity of the information stumbled upon. Thieme differentiates between mere speculation and factual evidence by giving examples of what information is valid and what users should remain skeptical about in their search for truth about UFOs.

The specific argument is centered on the Roswell incident that happened in the late 1940s, when an air force base in New Mexico supposedly recovered alien bodies. Since that time, a subculture of UFO believers use the Internet as a primary source of communication to exchange information about this incident. Thieme uses this information as a basis for his argument about memes, "ideas that replicate like viruses from mind to mind" (50). Thieme makes the assumption that the majority of the information that surfaces on the Internet cannot be accepted as true at face value.

Thieme supports his claim with several examples of Internet hoaxes, fallacies, and misconceptions about UFOs. He examines interviews, expert theories, first hand military accounts, and stories of professional hackers, all with published Internet tales of UFOs. Thieme summarizes the argument by asking himself skeptical questions. "Words originate with someone, but who? Is the name on the e-mail real? Is the domain real? Is the account real?" (55). These are all issues that concern not only Thieme and his UFOs, but also truth and the Internet.

The language of this article is professional and not necessarily playful, but a knowledgeable understanding of the Internet is needed to understand Thieme's concepts. Overall, this essay is influential, but not in the way Thieme intends it to be. His argument specifically centers on UFOs, but I have no interest in such subject matter. Therefore his influence rests upon pointing out to the reader that the information on the Internet is not trustworthy enough to use as a reputable source. The Internet publishes anything and everything, and readers must determine how much they are willing to accept as true.

The general skeptical tone of the essay supports my assessment. Although Thieme presents his argument with a firm belief in UFOs, he does not try to preach to the reader. Instead, readers absorb his message because the essay is written in such a skeptical tone, questioning the actual truth on the Internet, and not really their beliefs about UFOs.

Thieme, Richard. "Stalking the UFO Meme." CyberReader. 2nd ed. Ed. Victor J. Vitanza. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 1999. 49-56.