Recent findings from the World Wide Word…

I’ve come across a number of interesting resources of late that emphasize the web as both saviour & propagator of language(s).

Using the Web as Warehouse: Project Gutenberg: A wiki-style database of free e-books. You won’t find the latest best sellers here. The site is populated with copyright-free works. There’s also 50+ languages represented and an RSS feed to receive newly uploaded contributions.

Using The Web as Map: Visual Thesaurus: An interactive dictionary and thesaurus that uses word maps and other visual representations to not only provide meanings, etc but also to promote knowledge of the linkages between words. It’s a fee-based service and I need to do more research to know if it’s really worth it. Cool idea though.

How the Web Makes Words: I also like this piece from Jack Kapica talking about "Weblish" – or the lexicon that the web has given us – things like blog, podcast, avatar, webinar, wiki, and so on. 

How the Web Saves Words: Though I can’t find the links for the life of me, I’ve also seen reported resources that are being developed to house dying (or dead) languages such as Welsh, Irish, and various African/Asian languages. But to prove the point, a search on Hieroglyphics yields over 1.5 million results and there are over 44 million results for learn Latin.

Of course, this definition of "the web" includes software and technology that powers these applications. But in this broad definition, the web is the platform we are increasingly using for having & storing our conversations. It’s also the toolkit we are using to invent new forms of conversation and new lexicons, reviving old ones, and verifying the ones we have every day.

Tags: jargonism, lexicon, lost languages, resources

Are you a code-switcher or logophile?

If you haven’t already, I’d urge you to read Ian Brown’s piece from the Globe & Mail this past Saturday (You can also find the link in the del.icio.us feed on the sidebar).

I quite enjoyed the piece, finding it insightful, but there are those with more expertise in matters linguistic that have taken issue with many of the article’s arguments. For a good analysis of the finer points made in the piece try English, Jack.

What I found most useful was the division of word-mongers into two camps – code-switchers and logophiles. In brief, logophiles are those who love words for their own sake – regardless of how obscure or flowery they may be. Code-switchers believe that there is really no such thing as a standard vocabulary and what we say and how we are understood is wholly dependant on our comprehension of and proficiency in a particular context.

Perhaps some examples to clarify. Conrad Black is a logophile. A lawyer in court before a judge and the lawyer at home with his kids is engaged in code-switching. He needs two different vocabularies to be proficient in each context.

I think I fall somewhere in between the two.

I like words for their own sake and can always admire how a finely wrought piece of verbiage hangs together – how it sounds even if what it’s saying is absolute rubbish. I do acknowledge that this can go to far. Something which becomes abundantly clear if you ever thumb through a medical, scientific or legal journal..

Equally I enjoy seeing how words are used in different contexts, how they become infused with meaning and influence how one interprets the other words around them. If pressed, I’d say favour this lens. I like trying to figure out how words are intended to be used, why one word was chosen over another and whether the author’s intentions match what can be interpreted.

Based on that, I guess I’m using this blog for code-breaking exercises…

Tags: code-switching, logophile, jargonism

Lots of Fizz, not a lot of flavour

Hat-tip to Joe Thornley of ProPR for pointing out this clumsy example of self-inflating marketing/pr. Joe’s talking about the launch of Sprite Yard, a new social network/community from Coke. There are good points on the legitimacy of this as a social network and even better points about the hyperbole and audacious rhetoric used in this release.

Among the more egregious examples (which, to be fair, Joe already highlights):

- Forget Myspace and Facebook. That’s old news. Now, there is Sprite’s exclusive network called the Sprite Yard.

- Coca-Cola expects the Sprite Yard to set new benchmarks for consumer brand engagement

- Measurement metrics have been built in so Coca-Cola can track, in real-time, which features consumers are using most to the direct impact on beverage sales. It enables Coca-Cola to react very quickly to what their market wants.

How do you look if you don’t grow to be bigger, more entrenched, than Facebook or MySpace? What if you don’t set new benchmarks for consumer brand engagement? Do you know what those benchmarks are? How about you share them with us so we can track how you’re doing too? What if you can’t react quickly to what the market wants (for the record, I know of very few nimble multi-billion dollar multi-national consumer goods companies)?

A big problem with this kind of hype is not so much that everyone’s going to think you’re a blow-hard (and quite likely loose interest as a result – though that is a problem), it’s more that you are now backed into a corner with nowhere to build up to if things go well and nowhere to hide if things go poorly.

Choose your words wisely. You’re settng expectations for how people (consumers, media, advertisers) will judge you.

Tags: coke, sprite yard, social networks, hyperbole, jargonism

A watch in the hand is worth two days of news coverage

By now I’m sure the possible theft of George Bush’s watch while glad-handing in Albania is old news. For those who haven’t seen this yet, here’s the clip (about 50 seconds in is where you need to pay close attention):

However, recently recovered footage now reveals that the watch was not stolen as reported:

Regardless of whether or not the watch was actually stolen, this is a significant issue when you consider the potential security risk. Just look at how everyone is clamoring to get a grip on Mr. Bush. Even a fairly barren mind could come up with dozens of ways this could go horribly wrong. In that light, I found Tony Snow’s (White House press secretary) remarks to be quite revealing:

No, it was not. It was placed in his pocket, and I believe your network has actually looked through the tape carefully and has ascertained the same. But, no, the President put it in his pocket, and it returned safely home.

Mr Snow has demonstrated on numerous occasions that he has mastered the verbal gymnastics necessary to be a WH spokesperson. Watching him is amusing and frustrating in equal measure. But by most standards, the above statement would even count as plain English.

What I’d like to note here is the last phrase which suggests a number of things:

1. The watch is safe (security was not compromised)

2. By extension, the President is safe.(and loved by all the people of Albania)

3. The President retained control over the situation.(truly a man of action & leadership…)

4. So it was the President who secured the safety of the watch. (…who also delivers results)

Am I reading too much into this? Perhaps. But given the careful twisting of words and meanings that has been rampant in this administration (and political life generally), I think this is just a good example of how, in intense media situations, every word will be carefully crafted to, even subtly, deliver important messages.

PS. According to some reports, the watch is a $50 Timex. He really is just one of the people. And buys American, of course.

Tags: George Bush, Tony Snow, watch, press briefings, meaning, interpretation

Olympic Spirit or Spirits?

Tip of the old hat to Seth Godin for pointing out a great (?) example of the kind of marketing jibberish that plagues the industry and makes us seem like absolute wankers to many in the general public.

Cribbing from this post, here’s a quote from Lord Coe on the subject of the just unvieled London 2012 Olympic logo:

"This is the vision at the very heart of our brand," said London 2012 organising committee chairman Seb Coe."It will define the venues we build and the Games we hold and act as a reminder of our promise to use the Olympic spirit to inspire everyone and reach out to young people around the world. It is an invitation to take part and be involved."

Here’s the logo that is being referred to:

The logo is to hangovers as Lord Coe’s words are to drunken slur-mons.

Tags: London 2012, Lord Coe, logo, branding

Paris the Penitent – Another Saint Among the Stars?

Loathe as I am to give Paris Hilton any more space on the web, I can’t help myself after hearing the statement she gave before being whisked off to jail. The widely quoted version of the statement reads:

"During the past few weeks I have had a lot of time to think and have come to realize I made some mistakes. This is an important point in my life and I need to take responsibility for my actions. In the future, I plan on taking more of an active role in the decisions I make. I want to thank my family, friends and fans for their continued support. Although I am scared, I am ready to begin my jail sentence."

No surprises there. Concise. Contrite. Fully-formed thoughts. Clearly the work of a professional.

What has received less ink, even on the excellent Superficial blog, is the phrase at the end of this less carefully wrought statement:

"I’ve received thousands of letters from around the world of support and it’s really been inspirational and really helped me," she said. "I’m really scared but I’m ready to do this. And I hope that I’m an example to other young people."

 Is this the sign of the apocalypse? Paris Hilton can make a statement saying she hopes she can be a role model to young people, just before she’s turfed into jail, and there isn’t someone there forcing hemlock down her throat?

While I hope her intent was to reinforce the notion of taking responsibility for one’s actions, how is this even remotely credible coming from Ms. Hilton? How can anyone be expected to grasp that meaning when she’s being feted off to jail by a media circus? Isn’t there another, more obvious, message there for the kids?

I need to calm down and just relax…at least in that I can use Ms. Hilton as a role model.

Tags: paris hilton, jail, media circus, superficial

Details – Starbucks’ Environmental Commitment

I’m sure we’ve all seen this before. It’s the sleeve that Starbucks gives you so you don’t burn your fingers on a cup of their coffee. It’s also an output of their social responsibility programming. Starbucks, to their credit, has been active and progressive in their CSR activities – placing an strong emphasis on using only fair trade coffee, reducing their environmental footprint and leveraging their purchasing power to work only with suppliers that help them minimize their impact on the environment. All very noble efforts that I am in no position to argue with or criticize.

I got this sleeve after ordering my standard venti latte, extra hot, no foam. I am, it seems, rather simply in my own coffee consumption. But I found something troubling when I turned over to the other side of the sleeve (you should be able to click on it for a closer inspection).

There are two prominent pieces of text on the back of the sleeve. The first talks about Starbucks’ commitment to reducing their environment impact – great! It even has a call-to-action for consumers to help them help the planet. Okay, no issues there. The second piece of text, right below the first statement, mentions how this is the first 60% post-consumer fiber sleeve. Again, great. This is tangible proof of Starbucks’ environmental commitment.

But there are also two things that I find to be completely at odds with these two statements.

1. There is no recycling symbol on the sleeve.

2. If you look closely, right above the legal jargon protecting Starbucks rights and patents, you’ll see the phrase "Intended for single use only".

That statement & omission seem to me at odds with everything else that Starbucks says and does regarding their environmental policies and programs. Are we not to recycle this sleeve? Instead just use it once and throw it out with the rest of the garbage? It seems that post consumer fibers can still be recycled. Shouldn’t Starbucks make sure that they pay attention to the details and do all that they can to get consumers to take heed of the ‘help us help’ call-to-action?

I’d like to think that this is not what Starbucks intended. However, these details, though likely unnoticed by the vast majority of consumers – I, for example, have consumed hundreds of Starbucks coffees without picking up on this – are troubling to me.

Sadly, for me, Starbucks trips up in this attempt to walk to talk…

Tags: Starbucks, Environmental footprint, jargonism

A new project

I’ve launched this blog as a project to help me explore and understand my fascination with the power of language.

Specifically, I’m intrigued by the role language plays in media, marketing, public relations, politics. But I will not exclude the impact of language in everyday life as there, just as in the other areas, language is our most powerful tool for informing and influencing our comprehension of, and interaction with, each other and the world around us.

As I read over that last paragraph it sounds rather grand. I am under no illusion that I come at this as an amateur. I’ve worked in Communications, in one form or another, for my entire professional career. But other than a philosophy degree that included a number of courses on language (and put a premium on clarity and persuasion), I have no formal training on the subject. What I do posses is a good intuitive grasp of how words can or should be used and how they act as sign posts pointing us towards particular meanings, contexts or ideas.

In this space I will often operate at a very granular level, looking at how particular phrasings, inclusions, exclusions and intentions impact what we can, or are supposed to, take from a piece of communication.

I hope this provides some context for what is to come.

Tags: jargonism, context