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

[Boris Anthony]

seriously, *everything* is debateable: it's a question of coming to a  
conclusion.

Otto, you've made great efforts to make your point but I think few  
people are "buying it" (and I can appreciate it: I myself often get  
accused of arguing semantics!)

"the mechanism" in question allows for making lists of links. they  
can be bookmarks, they can be blogrolls, they can be links to just  
about anything. That fact alone trumps all arguments.

"the mechanism" in question allows the makign of "things you can sit  
on". they can be chairs, sofas, recliners... but int he end they are  
"things you sit on"... Links.

Epic discussion! bravo community! :)

B.

On 26-Jun-07, at 12:55 PM, Otto wrote:

> 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.
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