![ThereIsNoCabal](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/ThereIsNoCabal.svg)
''There Is No Cabal'' (abbreviated TINC) is a catchphrase and
running joke
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling. Though they are similar, catchphrases are not ...
found on
Usenet
Usenet () is a worldwide distributed discussion system available on computers. It was developed from the general-purpose Unix-to-Unix Copy (UUCP) dial-up network architecture. Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis conceived the idea in 1979, and it wa ...
.
The journalist
Wendy M. Grossman writes that its appearance on the ''alt.usenet.cabal''
FAQ reflects
conspiracy
A conspiracy, also known as a plot, is a secret plan or agreement between persons (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder or treason, especially with political motivation, while keeping their agre ...
accusations as old as the
Internet
The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...
itself. The
anthropologist Gabriella Coleman writes that the joke reveals "discomfort over the potential for corruption by meritocratic leaders".
History
The phrase ''There Is No Cabal'' was developed to deny the existence of the
backbone cabal
The backbone cabal was an informal organization of large-site news server administrators of the worldwide distributed newsgroup-based discussion system Usenet. It existed from about 1983 at least into the 2000s.
The cabal was created in an effort ...
, which members of the cabal denied. The cabal consisted of operators of major
news server newsgroups, allowing them to wield greater control over Usenet.
See also
*
Backbone cabal
The backbone cabal was an informal organization of large-site news server administrators of the worldwide distributed newsgroup-based discussion system Usenet. It existed from about 1983 at least into the 2000s.
The cabal was created in an effort ...
*
Cabal
A cabal is a group of people who are united in some close design, usually to promote their private views or interests in an ideology, a state, or another community, often by intrigue and usually unbeknownst to those who are outside their group. T ...
*
Internet meme
*
Lumber Cartel
References
External links
alt.conspiracy.usenet-cabal FAQ on the Cabal and TINC
Usenet
Internet memes
Conspiracy theories
Phrases
{{internet-stub
fr:Il n'y a pas de cabale