"Internet humor" is distinguishable from "Humor on the Internet" through the concept of ownership. There are definite examples of commercially protected humor on the internet, examples include the cartoons of Dilbert or the newspaper? columns of Dave Barry. "Internet Humor" is regarded as that which belongs to the public domain.
The concept of authorship with regard to Internet humor is very difficult to define. Frequently a "list" type joke may get started but within a few generations of distribution it evolves beyond recognition. A classic example is the well-known "You have two cows" joke - after circulating in more primitive media throughout the 1980's, it seems to have first appeared on the Internet in 1993 with simple descriptions of communism, capitalism and socialism. However, the version presented within the Wikipedia has expanded to include all forms of government, regional variations, philosophical systems, and even art movements. Attempting to define an "author" of the joke hence becomes impossible, and it becomes a publicly owned resource, simply because no-one could validly claim legitimate ownership.
Though the Internet has allowed the global explosion of collectively-authored comedy, its precursors existed on [bulletin board]?s, corporate messaging systems, and even through such low-tech mechanisms as the facsimile? since at least the 1970's. We need more history in this area.
Presented below is a collection of some of the most venerable examples of publicly-owned "Internet Humor"
See also:
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