25 Things 

This notorious meme started on Facebook in 2009. It is known most commonly as "25 things" or "25 random things" but can be any other number. The rules of this chain dictate that you are supposed to list 16, or 25 or 27 - some  specified number of random things about yourself in a Facebook note or whatever platform it invades, and tag as many people or more. They in turn, are supposed to do likewise  .

Another mutation of the chain note calls its forward/tagging scheme "sharing" in its title "A Bunch of Questions — Share."

Some people do it because they actually think it's fun and interesting, and others do it because they are unable to keep from caving into peer pressure. "Everybody's doing it!" Others give in, in the hopes that their friends will eventually stop tagging them in these memes.

Tim

Yes, people  do get tagged repeatedly in chain notes, because their friends don't all know one another. So you can be tagged in a meme by one friend, and another shortly after, especially if you have not yet done the chain letter yourself. Even if you have, it is still possible to be tagged by yet another friend who wants to comply with the chain letter's demands and has forgotten that you already did that meme a week ago.

This meme did eventually mutate beyond Facebook note form, into a Facebook application.

It became so wide-spread, therefore, so notoriously obnoxious that the media produced articles about it.

Washington Post Time Magazine NY Times Slate Magazine USA Today WSJ Philadelphia Inquirer Minneapolis Star Tribune

But this meme had so much power over people that even some of the protesters caved in and spread it.

LA Times the Globe And Mail Canada's lackluster article's title is brilliant, calling 25 things a fad of epidemic proportions. However, it falls flat, calling "the Facebook god" "an old testament god" and praising aspects of the meme.

25 Things About Facebook from the Kansas Star

And for a few people who can see the massive manipulation behind this fun-looking but insidious meme, resistance is vital, not futile.

25 Random Things About Me Alligator.org Unfortunately for the writer of the Alligator opinion piece, several apparently chain-addicted flamers weighed in with their nasty tantrums.

Facebook groups:

STOP the use of Randomness...25 Things About Me Stop the 25 Things Chain Letter Will you stop with the 25 things thing? I refuse to list 25 random things about myself!! Stop the 25 Random things tagging! Can you stop with the 25 random things STOP the 25 Random things about ME NO! I will not post 25 Random Things about ME! I'm not doing any 25 things things. I WISH PEOPLE WOULD STOP POSTING CRAP ON FACEBOOK Put an END to 25 RANDOM THINGS and chain posts. Stop the Madness! I will not post 25 Things. Not Now. Not Ever Not going to do the '25 random things' note! I Don't Want To Know Your 25 Random Things Just say No!! to 25 random things Face it Nobody wants to hear 25 random things about you

25 Things is not the first, and most unfortunately won't be the last chain letter to hit Facebook or any other blog or social network. It just happened to out-do others that were going around at the same time.