In the essay "Stalking the UFO Meme," author Richard Thieme expresses his idea of what constitutes evidence for something happening, while simultaneously examining the concept of reality. Thieme specifically refers to the "Roswell Incident" of 1947 as an example of how something that counts as reality demands evidence. Thieme examines how the first news report on the incident triggered a meme that spread across the nation and formed a new "reality" for the incident.

Thieme explains that the Internet is a like a petri dish of ideas that replicate from computer to computer. His assessment also involves the media's influence on the reality of the replication of these ideas. Are the ideas that fester among the Internet reality? This is examined carefully in his article. If evidence constitutes reality, then the credibility of the source plays a key role. Thieme explains that the Roswell Incident went from speculation to reality in the blink of an eye. The media and the Internet gave birth to this reality without anyone challenging the truth behind this information.

So what is the real message? We should always question the information we read on the net, and we should also investigate the credibility of the sources. Reality can easily become distorted when the exchange of information is uncensored. I think that this article poses a good point about trusting the net. How can one expect to find truth on the net when anybody can set forth information? Thieme is urging us to be cautious of the layers of speculation that get broadcasted and, in some ways, become reality.

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