There Is No Cabal (abbreviated TINC) is a catchphrase and running joke found on Usenet. The journalist Wendy M. Grossman writes that its appearance on the alt.usenet.cabal FAQ reflects conspiracy accusations as old as the Internet 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, 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 Cabal Internet meme Lumber Cartel References External links alt.conspiracy.usenet-cabal FAQ on the Cabal and TINC Usenet Internet memes Conspiracy theories Phrases fr:Il n'y a pas de cabale