April 15, 2003

Defining Terms

Most of my career as a writer was spent spinning what other people wanted to communicate into more clear and engaging prose. My biggest challenge always was to get those people to define what they really meant by terms that they used that I was expected to incorporate into whatever I spun. Lots of people use the word “diversity,” and there are probably as many interpretations of that word are there are bureaucrats who use it. The same is true (in my area of expertise: education) of words like “integrated curriculum,” “experiential learning,” “team-teaching,” and “art.” And the same defining confusion occurs in almost every field. Including weblogging.

I have found that different people define “weblog” differently. So, when a discussion starts about what a good weblog is, what good weblog writing is, or even how truthful weblog writing should be, the conversation goes around in circles, because there are so many and varied beliefs about what a weblog is for. That kind of conversation sometimes is an interesting intellectual exercise, but it sure doesn’t lead anywhere in particular.

In my various previous writing jobs, I often had to write “white papers” – position/policy papers that then became the focal point for conferences and group discussions. Unless there was some definition of crucial terms up-front, no two people wound up really talking about the same thing. It was very frustrating for me, being also the writer who was then supposed to write a summary report describing the conclusions – or at least the general directions – of the various discussions. Kinda hard to do when no two people were really talking about the same thing because they each defined crucial terms differently.

I thought I had left all that bureaucratic mumbo jumbo tail-chasing behind when I retired from my paid work. But here it is, in blogland too. Maybe it’s just part of the confusing and complex human condition. But I don’t think it has to be. It’s a simple matter of those involved in the discussion first agreeing on the definition of the core terms around which the discussion is set up to evolve. Unless, of course, those invovled really like running around in cicles. I guess, at my age, I feel that I don't have that kind of time to waste.

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Old Comments (7)

  1. Kate S. on 15 Apr 2003

    I tried to access that link but received an error message. Will go 'round another way.
    I spent an hour and a half in one class while everyone gave their definitions of "art." Then the teacher gave hers, which, we were then instructed to write down. "Test on Monday!" Her def. was as nebulous as ... some of the rhetoric coming from our bastion of democracy. And as a former writer, I bet this Bush-speak is really pissing you off, to no end.
    OK, now I go to find the def. of a good blog, cuz I don't have a clue, I just know what I like.

  2. Elaine on 15 Apr 2003

    Sorry. I guess I still mess up trackbacks one way or the other. The link is fixed now.

  3. Kate S. on 17 Apr 2003

    Wow, what an incredible conversation at Burning Bird's site. "if you feel like you've been punched (kicked?)in the solar plexis, that's art." Yeah. Amen. What a great collaboration/discussion of intelligent writers, eh? I see I need to hone my blogging blood-hound skills better.
    On a side note: please see the link to an essay on why women's blogs are crap. *shudder*
    http://www.altx.com/ebr/reviews/rev3/todd.htm
    I did not leave a comment. I was too busy looking up references to waste his time reading anything that I, a mere woman, would have to say on the subject. But I may blog about it later.

  4. Peter on 11 Nov 2003

    Great comments guys. Peter FDA

  5. Alexi on 05 Jan 2004

    Priveyet (Hello)

    Va skolka (How are you)?

    Minyar eemya Alexi (My name is Alexi).

    Spasebo Balshoi (Big thank you).

    S'novom godom (With / Happy New year).

    Paka (In a while / see you soon).

    Alexi

  6. dzwonki polifoniczne on 14 Jun 2004

    Hmmmmm interesting !!!

  7. Google on 15 Nov 2004

    COOL ;)
    Search Google http://www.google.com/

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