It’s been a bit quiet here recently (apart from the spammers). This is because in the midst of leaving my job, moving 300miles north, buying a flat and adopting a dog, I have been pretty much entirely without internet since the end of June. It may be a while before I’m properly connected up again, but I just thought I should say that I’m ok, and that Newcastle is treating me very well.

Anyway…

This article on the unfathomability of various web-terms, by the british public(via Simon) got me thinking back to a conversation I had with a colleague about six months ago. He asked “What’s the difference between a chatroom and a blog?”. I can’t remember exactly what I said, but I’m fairly sure I gave a thoroughly unsatisfactory answer.

Let’s try the question another way.. In terms that you would use to a taxi driver, landlord or hairdresser…

A chatroom is a to a blog, what a [---] is to a [---]
debate is to a lecture?
conference call is to a letter?
free-for-all is to a committee?