Expanding the Web Lexicon
I'm hoping the Web masses can help me out. A recent piece I wrote for Poynter's E-Media Tidbits blog touched on the idea of developing "Web reference points" to help explain Web work -- particularly online journalism -- to laypeople. For example, I found that when I described Web content as "conversations rather than articles," it helped colleagues and friends understand how Web journalism differs from traditional journalism.So with this in mind, I'm hoping to develop reference points for the following hard-to-describe concepts/technologies:
Blogs -- Describing them as "online diaries" seems debasing, especially since there are many excellent blogs that never touch on personal issues. A couple of possibilities: "a chronological catalog of thoughts and stories," "short posts pointing out themes, stories of interest or thoughts," "a form of beat reporting."
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) Feeds -- I know this topic has popped up at E-Media Tidbits, but I have yet to see any definitive discussion. RSS is, even by Web standards, incredibly ambiguous. The word I always latch onto is "syndication," so here are a couple of syndication-specific reference points: "RSS is a free way of subscribing to Web content," "RSS is a technology that lets you bring all the information from your favorite sites into one location."
Podcasts -- I'm a podcast newbie myself, so I could use some help with this one. I don't understand the practical applications of podcasts. Why would I download an audio broadcast from someone I don't know? Moreover, why would I sit and listen? Maybe a radio analogy would work here -- "It's a way to subscribe to interesting radio programs," "It gives you the power to listen to audio broadcasts at any time."
I'm sure I'll be adding to this list as new technologies and concepts pop up. In the meantime, please offer your own thoughts through the comments mechanism below. I know there are great minds out there who can explain this stuff better than I can! -- Mac Slocum
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