[wp-hackers] Re: Blogroll, Bookmarks, Links?

[Otto]

On 6/26/07, Leonid Mamchenkov <leonid at mamchenkov.net> wrote:
> The issue with Web 2.0 in general and social bookmarks in particular
> is that things are called names just for the sake of being called
> names.  Normal people (those that don't work in IT industry) have hard
> times keeping up with all the terminology.  And I think it makes sense
> to make it easier on them, whether the application/service is a
> flagmen or not.

So, do you call everything you sit on a "chair", even if it's a couch?
Or a bed? Or the floor?

Names distinguish different types of things from each other. It could
be easier to call everything "Bob". That way, you always know what
everything is: it's "Bob".

> Links is what those people know.  They send each other links in the
> email.  They share interesting links.  They follow links on the web.
> They sell and buy links.  They rate links. They arrange links on their
> web site.

Exactly my point. These are more than links. They have enough (or, at
least I certainly want them to have enough) distinguishing
characteristics to make them different than a mere URL which they send
around.

And while you and others may think that the name is the least part of
a thing, I disagree. Names do indeed matter. Words matter. Words
define how people think of things, how they conceive of them. Calling
them "Links" reduces them to something that people think they already
know. However, people don't already know this. This is something they
need to learn, it's something new, it's not the same old thing that
they have stuck in their mind as "links" and so yes, it needs a
different name.

> Even the most in-accurate benchmark of all - the Google number of
> search results - suggests that Links it should be.
>
> links: 1,750,000,000 results
> bookmarks: 134,000,000 results

Actually, this backs up my point, not yours. People already know what
a link is. And these are not links, therefore giving them that name
doesn't make any sense.

> P.S.: Social bookmarks are just the links that people share. And
> organize. Together.

Correct. Which is what I want Wordpress bookmarks to be too. What part
of this is not getting through?

> P.P.S.: Think of non-native English speakers too.  To make it easier
> on you, which word looks better for you - ссылка or закладка? ;)

Doesn't make any difference to me, I'll leave the translation up to
the translators.

> P.P.P.S.: This is the last message from me in this thread.  Respond
> personally if you feel like continuing the conversation.

Sorry, but I feel that this is important enough to share with the
list, and I'll continue to keep it in the view of the list. Don't
respond if you don't want to do so.