Mad Atoms

The Internet is in many ways the great equalizer. "E-Socialism," I like to call it. Anyone, regardless of race, creed, sexual orientation or, frequently, diminished mental capacity, can become a worldwide star -- or make eight people around the globe chuckle lightly. 

But what happens when the laughter stops? Will you exit gracefully, or will you desperately try to milk that last powder-filled teat for a spot on the Carson Daly show? Congratulations, you finally reached 10 million hits, and yet no one would come to your funeral.

Here are some surefire signs that you should pack it in and start the futile search for the next conduit of useless, fleeting notoriety:
* It has over 10,000 votes on UrbanDictionary.com
* It gets covered on the local 6:00 news in one of those "guess what your kids are doing" stories.
* It's parodied on South Park.
* It can be used as a verb.
* It gets its own t-shirt on BustedTees.com.
* Your mom asks you about it.
* It has a Wikipedia entry not written by you.
* It appears in a Weezer video.
* It's used as a joke in Meet the Spartans.