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October 27, 2003

Google Defs and Blog defs

Pito points out that if you query Google with "define: blogs" (no quotes, of course), it presents definitions from a whole bunch of places. Very cool.

And the previous entry on Pito's blog is in fact about defining "blog". He argues that we should try to hold on to a fairly precise definition. This is in part a response to my bloggery about what the word may come to mean once blogging really goes mainstream.

I happen not to agree with Pito's particular definition because it leaves out multi-person blogs that I really want to put in the bag marked "Blogs," but I also don't think there's any real point in trying to hold on to the word. Markets do to words what they do to ideas and there's just not much we can do 'bout it. In fact, trying to hold on to the word may slow the market's assimilation of the idea, technology and practice.

On the other hand, I hate to see the word abused. Go figure!

Posted by D. Weinberger at October 27, 2003 09:30 AM


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» A comment on the group blog threadlet from Pito's Blog
A comment on the group blog threadlet. Scoble, Dave and others have been exchanging some views on whether 'group blogs' are a good thing. Some points to add to the conversation: When I am explaining what (I think) a blog is to folks who've never heard ... [Read More]

Tracked on June 27, 2004 09:47 PM

Comments

Google's define: feature is really cool. But unfortunately it seems restricted to english terms. I tried it with german and french words but no results.

Posted by: Markus B. Pirchner | October 27, 2003 01:34 PM


It is "define:blog" (not "define:blogs")... and why is beyond me.

Posted by: Bernie | October 27, 2003 09:29 PM


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