Wordnik.com: Main word list: Comments

Comment by john, over 2 years ago

Fri, 29 Dec 2006 00:11:14 +0000

I didn't really understand the vitriol from the TechCrunch readers either. Glad you decided to see for yourself, and that you disagreed.

Your last comment captures some of the disconnect, I think. Wordie is for people interested in language. TechCrunch is focused on trends in tech venture capital. Wordie is, I think, an anomoly -- it doesn't really fit in with any obvious trends, perhaps causing TechCrunch readers to become scared and confused. I mean, I suppose it's "Web 2.0" -- it uses AJAX out the wazoo, is a social network, and is written in Rails. But it's not commercial, and the zetigeist of the site is almost Victorian. Not in the sense of being sexually repressed, but it rewards curiosity, tends toward dry humor, and is a bit pedantic.

Comment by aeggers, over 2 years ago

Thu, 28 Dec 2006 22:59:42 +0000

i just read the techcrunch feature on wordie from early december. i don't know the culture there well enough to know how unusual this was, but there was a lot of vitriol in the comments -- "hands down the stupidest website profiled here" etc etc. the dismissiveness of some of these people pissed me off. as is clear from the fact that i stuck around long enough to enter some words, i of course disagree with them. my attempt to understand why wordie is fun: without really doing any work you get a small thrill from participating in a creative collaborative social project. like flickr without the photos indeed. helps of course to be interested in language and how it works.

Comment by aeggers, over 2 years ago

Thu, 21 Dec 2006 10:30:38 +0000

I mostly like this word as in, "Dave Eggers's writing can be great, but at times I find it a little precious."