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October 11, 2005
Worst. Word. Ever.
Daniel Radosh says:
I think that if 42,000 people hadn't been killed in Pakistan on the samed day, this would have been just about the worst news I'd heard all weekend, and even so, it was close: "The world's first literary prize for books based on blogs or websites – known for short as 'blooks' – is launched Monday, 10th October, 2005." First of all, books based on blogs are NOT known as blooks and never will be, because that's the most annoying coinage ever. Second, the press release, when citing examples of this supposed new type of book, is reduced to mentioning Washingtonienne. Any contest in which Washingtonienne is eligable for an award is self-evidently crap.
Amen. You know, until I write a book. Which won't be called a "blook", in any case. Don't folks realize that "blog" is one of the worst terms the English language has ever vomited up? I'm proud of what I do, but I'm constantly on the lookout for a descriptor that doesn't make it sound like I write something a toddler picks and eats.
By the way, sorry for the lack of posting here today, Typepad was offline for the last several hours.
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» Controversy erupts over the term blooks! from Lulu Blooker Blog
Just when you think you've been original. A bit of controversy has arisen over the term 'blook' itself, which turns out to have not one (see today's post on the blog Greg Writes), but at least two prior claimants. [Read More]
Tracked on Oct 11, 2005 9:33:24 PM
Comments
Yeah, blog is an ugly word. The full phrase 'web log' isn't much better - it sounds like a listing of visitors to something/somewhere on the web.
But it is now 'established', and can't or won't be changed. I hate it.
I wouldn't worry about blooks catching on as a word. It is to manufactured, and without geek authenticity as parentage.
I'm not sure I'd count on you publishing a book about or derived from your blog(s). It would never quite be finished because you'd have a new chapter to add every few days and your editor would just defenestrate in response. (just kidding, Ezra).
Posted by: JimPortandOR | Oct 11, 2005 4:52:43 PM
"blogosphere" and "netroots" are pretty stupid, too.
Posted by: Nathan Rudy | Oct 11, 2005 4:59:52 PM
My little brother makes fun of me whenever I say "blogosphere". "Netroots" is one of those words that people say to make themselves feel more important than they are.
If 'blooks' becomes a word, it should be a word for books composed entirely of blog posts. Because of the public internet, the term will be as dumb as its referent will be useless.
Posted by: Neil the Ethical Werewolf | Oct 11, 2005 5:24:29 PM
Ezra, in your post here:
http://www.prospect.org/weblog/archives/2005/10/index.html#007993
The link is wrong on the word "missing."
Posted by: God | Oct 11, 2005 5:30:05 PM
Jim, doesn't defenestrate take a direct object? ;)
Posted by: TJ | Oct 11, 2005 5:30:39 PM
TJ: I think there is an implied object of 'herself', but then, I'm not an expert in either latin or jumping out of windows. (smile)
Posted by: JimPortandOR | Oct 11, 2005 5:40:31 PM
TJ: a further thought on object of defensrate. I suppose the editor could defenstrate the draft book if it were in paper, but throwing out the digital bits would be harder.
Posted by: JimPortandOR | Oct 11, 2005 5:42:22 PM
Jim,
certainly not if it was on a Windows computer.
Ouch.
Posted by: TJ | Oct 11, 2005 5:58:34 PM
First of all, books based on blogs are NOT known as blooks and never will be, because that's the most annoying coinage ever.
More annoying than "wiki"? I think not.
Posted by: Constantine | Oct 11, 2005 6:20:00 PM
To be contrarian, I like the term "blog". And "vlog" -- though only as pronounced "vee-log". I like "blogosphere" as well.
The term "netroots" however is soooo pretentious, it sounds like code for "rich white yuppies with time on their hands" used by people who don't want to admit they're rich white yuppies with time on their hands. (I have no trouble admitting I'm such a beast.)
Posted by: tlaura | Oct 11, 2005 6:45:26 PM
So what catchy term would YOU assign to books that evolved from material originally (self-)published on blogs (and there are, believe it or not, a lot of them--more and more as each month goes by)? Yes it's a book, but it's a new variety of book. What to call it?
Ok, so blooks is a bit silly. But since when is being a bit silly a bad thing? Especially in literary circles. Rare, but not bad.
Posted by: Stephen Fraser | Oct 11, 2005 9:06:02 PM
Yeah, "wiki" makes me wanna blook. It wasn't even acceptable when only Hawaiians said it. As for the suckiness of "blogosphere," that's why all the cool kids say interweb - only ironically, so you know it's intentionally pretentious. And since irony can rescue anything, if you really want to fight the use of "blog," you can always do what the New York Times and other (sigh) MSM outlets often do, which is refer to them as "internet blogs."
By the way, I never noticed my typo in "samed" until I saw it here. I'm always better at seeing the speck in someone else's eye.
Posted by: radosh | Oct 11, 2005 9:12:02 PM
While we're on the subject of annoying trends, can we please stop. The. Annoying. Habit. Of. Ending. Each. Word. With. A. Period. For. Emphasis.?
Or is it just me who finds this irritating?
Posted by: matt | Oct 12, 2005 5:31:09 AM
While we're on the subject of annoying trends, can we please stop. The. Annoying. Habit. Of. Ending. Each. Word. With. A. Period. For. Emphasis.?
Or is it just me who finds this irritating?
Posted by: matt | Oct 12, 2005 5:32:41 AM
Another irritating thing- clicking "post" twice. My bad!
Posted by: matt | Oct 12, 2005 6:10:31 AM
Is the Blook award going to be named in honor of Hugh Hewitt? He writes an awful lot of blooks. (Or should I say that his blooks are an awful lot.)
Posted by: Jimmm | Oct 12, 2005 9:41:54 AM
I'm much too busy for blooks. I read only blogazines
Posted by: Left Behind Child | Oct 12, 2005 10:16:24 AM
Webinar anyone? Fleh!
Posted by: freq flag | Oct 12, 2005 12:47:41 PM
That article doesn't mention what is probably
the best, and likely to endure example, of a
book made from a blog's contents. That is
the book compilation of "Baghdad Burning:
Girl Blog from Iraq" by Riverbend. "Blook"
is vastly inappropriate at describing the
brave witness of Riverbend's writings, whatever
form it appears in.
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My boyfriend's mom would always ask me if I've been spending too much time on the computer: "are you boggin?" I haven't had the heart to correct her yet.
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