A joke can get away with being overused if it's funny enough to be worth repeating and/or can be reinvented each time it's made. Neither of these apply to most common "programming memes". They are mildly funny at best, and so devoid of conceptual nuance or detail that it's impossible to create new takes on them. Most online spaces devoted to programmer humour contain discussions that seem bot-generated, given the predictability of each exchange of bland one-liners.

>"C++/JavaScript/PHP/Python/[language] BAD"

This could be funny if the joke provided some insight into why [language] is BAD, but this is never done. It's always delivered as an unclarified general statement. I suspect that most of the people who keep making and laughing at such statements don't know or care why [language] may be BAD, and are just inanely repeating some soundbite. This is most likely due to them being a) inexperienced at [language], such that they base their limited knowledge of it on others' claims; b) inept at [language], so declaring it BAD makes them feel better about themselves; or c) both. I don't disagree that some languages are flawed and difficult to work with, but these denunciations are trite and brainless.

>StackOverflow

Whatever potential for creativity this joke concept has is as of yet unexplored, because all StackOverflow jokes are presented in the same way: "I can't do my job without StackOverflow, because I'm incapable of writing decent code on my own! XD" I'd respect it if someone were to joke about the actual problems they have when trying to code; this has more scope for originality as different scenarios can arise, and also gives the impression that the coder is in fact trying. But no, "StackOverflow CTRL+C CTRL+V! I can't come up with my own code or jokes!" I'd be a liar if I claimed to never use StackOverflow or Google to find solutions; however I treat it as more of a last resort.

People who make typical programming jokes seem barely invested in programming itself. So many "programming jokes" not only give the impression that the people making them don't know what they're talking about, but also have little or nothing to do with actual programming.

>Binary Numbers

This is just a joke about discovering notations other than base ten. Like most people, you have never programmed in machine code in your life.

>Office Humour

We are talking about programming. I don't care how socially acceptable it is to be so addicted to coffee that you throw withdrawal tantrums.

>Programming Socks

I have no clue where this came from or what connection to programming it's supposed to have. There isn't even a discernible joke. None of the other programmers/Linux users I know irl embody the archetype portrayed in the meme. The people who post this crap seem to focus on the quirky little aesthetic they made up rather than Linux or programming itself. If this is some kind of bizarre DEI campaign for CS, it's coming across as vapid and insufferable, not unlike most DEI campaigns. It must be a psyop.

Though some of these "programming" "memes" may die in the future (I hope they do), the next part of this post will ensure that it never becomes too outdated, because this one thing, to my chagrin, refuses to go away.

>xkcd

I often feel like I'm the only person who doesn't like xkcd. xkcd is everywhere, on meme subreddits, on posters, on slideshows in lectures, staring right back at me when I stare into the void. It took me a while to figure out exactly what irks me about xkcd, but I found it eventually: xkcd is where programmer/STEM humour reaches peak NPC.

There is nothing unique, original or exciting about xkcd. The punchlines are banal observations that anyone in STEM with a couple of functioning brain cells could make. The art style could be perfectly copied with minimal effort. The tone of the comics (which gets on my nerves for being what I can best describe as "affectedly quirky") may be a little harder to replicate, but one could do a good job of this by taking on the mindset of someone whose only personality trait is "relatability" (or rather, quaintly presented mediocrity).

"Relatability" is what seems to define xkcd and its appeal. It illustrates conclusions that everyone comes to. It's not as though xkcd says things better than you could yourself, because anyone could make a webcomic just like it. xkcd doesn't say things well either; much of its phrasing is dragged out and awkward rather than fresh and witty.

Good programmer humour consists of jokes that are actually based on the nature/technicality of programming and make fun of it in creative ways. Esoteric languages such as Malbolge, BS and INTERCAL, to name a few of my favourites, are great. I'm also a fan of meme Linux distros like AmogOS and Suicide Linux, and this motherfucking website.