We had tv in our house in 1993, but didn't know anybody with cable, where music videos were shown.

interesting. i was wondering about how to go studying these 'viral' phenomena after looking at this article in Fast Company, which I'm certain you'll enjoy for multiple reasons.

Reasons I like that Fast Company article:

Petite sassy Italian girl rockin' a classed up beater

Technology pundit admits he knows jackshit about anything

Success of Ning proves that another worthless tech pundit, I Cringely, doesn't know jackshit either, as I pointed out re: his column about social networking being a CB radio type of fad.

Shows that if I don't get a quick tenure-track job in academia, I can always peddle my math skills and analogical reasoning to industry and make out like mad (compared to academic work, that is).

Back around 1970 someone produced an epidemiological model of countercultures, with vectors, hosts, and carriers. The analogies are pretty evident and I can see modelling things that way, but the article went on to start talking about disinfectants, vaccination, etc., and then moved on to cancer and cancer surgery. Modelling is analogizing, but you have to be careful.

the print copy has a better picture of the essential point of that article. it might be a cover photo? i saw it at B & N last week.

btw I did the project. The truth proved uninteresting.

You collected at most 2 days worth of data -- not even Stuff White People Like was infectious enough to see a pattern over two days. Also, remember you're trying to measure the view count at the outset -- it may take awhile for it to gain in popularity. Patience.