And Words Still Matter…
Words matter. I know that I keep saying it, over and over again, ad infinitum, ad nauseaum; but the reality is that it’s true. Words matter.
Take all the hoopla about the “new Web,” known in various circles as Web 3.0, Web 4, Web-whatever … and, folks, we’re sounding like we’re treading awfully close to one of my earlier posts, the one about Alice in Wonderland. You don’t create something out of nothing simply by naming it. That’s not the way it works.
Marketing guru Seth Godin talks about his vision of Web 4 as our personal assistant, one that helps with scheduling, introduces us to new interests, makes our lives easier. But isn’t that – forgive me – a little obvious? Every technology evolves. Presents new facets, new complexity, new opportunities. Does naming it change its evolution? Or does that just make certain individuals or companies feel that they have some control over the new technology – however it may look – coming up next? Some ownership?
Don’t get me wrong: branding is important. But let’s know what it is that we’re naming before we name it, and be sure that our motives aren’t just to add to the acronym soup that plagues the marketing industry and obfuscates the truth. It’s not a new Web: it’s the natural evolution of what we have now. It’s not new. It’s not different. It’s not going to cure cancer or make a better mousetrap.
It’s simply where we’re going, no more, no less. Let’s see what it looks like before we start fighting over who gets to name the baby. And then we’ll be … beyond the elements of style!
Posted in Process Matters, About Writing, Words on May 20th, 2007