from
Jargon File (4.4.4, 14 Aug 2003)
sig virus
n.
A parasitic {meme} embedded in a {sig block}. There was a {meme
plague} or fad for these on Usenet in late 1991. Most were equivalents
of "I am a .sig virus. Please reproduce me in your .sig block.". Of
course, the .sig virus's memetic hook is the giggle value of going
along with the gag; this, however, was a self-limiting phenomenon as
more and more people picked up on the idea. There were creative
variants on it; some people stuck `sig virus antibody' texts in their
sigs, and there was at least one instance of a sig virus eater.
from
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)
sig virus
A parasitic {meme} embedded in a {sig block}. There was a
{meme plague} or fad for these on {Usenet} in late 1991. Most
were equivalents of "I am a .sig virus. Please reproduce me
in your .sig block.". Of course, the .sig virus's memetic
hook is the giggle value of going along with the gag; this,
however, was a self-limiting phenomenon as more and more
people picked up on the idea. There were creative variants on
it; some people stuck "sig virus antibody" texts in their
sigs, and there was at least one instance of a sig virus
eater.
[{Jargon File}]