Academic Kate Miltner recently received her Master's Degree from the London School of Economics for her 98-page dissertation on the appeal of LOLcats, in which she argues that they ultimately enrich society and make us smarter. Here's the Cliff's Notes version:
Miltner breaks down LOLcats fans into three groups:
Ultimately, Miltner concludes that regardless of the type of user, "when it came to LOLcats, sharing and creating were often different means to the same end: making meaningful connections with others."
[thanks, ben! atlantic]