I’ve decided to do a pre-announcement review of the candidates for the 2005 Hugo Award for best novel. I’ll post a draft before too long, I hope.
But one vision of the future disturbs me. I was reading Charles Stross’ Iron Sunrise (a strong contender, but I liked his Singularity Sky better), set in the 24th century, and he introduces a character who had inherited the masthead of The Times and announced his profession as “warblogger”.
I don’t really suppose our little virtual community is going to last a thousand years, or even 300, but just in case, can’t we find some way to agree on a better name than “blogger”?
{ 10 comments }
bob mcmanus 07.31.05 at 12:45 am
No
anno-nymous 07.31.05 at 12:48 am
I’m a fan of calling you people “web loggers”, and then bloggers for short. Web logger sounds a little less goofy if you’re trying to be formal.
I guess you could say “online diarist” if you’re doing a personal blog. Or, you know, just “writer”.
almostinfamous 07.31.05 at 1:30 am
warblogger sounds cool to the nerd in me, but overall just sounds too dorky. im sure someone somewhere will come up with something better
*taps feet*
Seth Finkelstein 07.31.05 at 2:42 am
“Warmonger”
It would be a nice SF twist combining linguistic shift with social commentary.
Backword Dave 07.31.05 at 7:42 am
“Warblogging” is a profession? That’s too far-fetched.
jonathan 07.31.05 at 8:15 am
a. virtual activists
b. spreaders
c. mediae
d. “people”
e. witnesses
f. bloogers
David Moles 07.31.05 at 12:14 pm
Part of Charlie Stross’s schtick is that his stuff is all full of contemporary geek references. I don’t think Iron Sunrise is meant to be taken that seriously.
Anyway, by the 24th century we’ll all be saying bo ke (åšå®¢).
tikitu 07.31.05 at 5:40 pm
Problem is (a) that the generally accepted term is a bit ridiculous, (b) that no other term is generally accepted. Solutions: to (a) wait a bit, it’ll catch on; (b) make one up. Go on, I dare ya. _That_’s the problem. Language is what people do (a slogan I will pimp as soon as I have the street/blog cred to pimp anything…). What people do (1/10/05) is call this “blogging”. A shame, I agree, but you’ll have to produce a pretty hard sell to convince enough people differently to make a difference. Although, if you try, I’ll be listening. Go on. I dare ya.
(Oh, and for jonathan: “bloogers” is better?!?)
agm 08.01.05 at 2:51 am
And what exactly is wrong with blog, blogging, and bloggers?
jen brame 08.01.05 at 6:41 am
“unlicensed journalist”.. although surely by then that’ll be illegal.
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