smartwords

ruzuzu commented on the word smartwords

"With smartwords, you’ll be able to access not just traditional “dictionary-style” information, but also metadata, such as how frequently a word is used, where words are used, and who uses particular words. You’ll also be able to publish information about words — if you create a word, you can put a flag in the ground and claim it for your own — and smartwords will enable cool social features, like sharing and tagging."

From the Wordnik blog, February 23, 2010.

February 24, 2010

bilby commented on the word smartwords

I created this word on 31 July 1977 while trapping moths for snuff in Kathmandu. I remember it well. I was sitting on a bench outside the royal palace, or it might have been on the toilet with a bout of Himalayan hubble-bubble, when a beard with a flute sticking out of it spoke to me.

"Do you have a vision?" it rumbled loud enough to cause another avalanche of Californian hippies.

"Trek off," I grunted in reply with all the panache of a snap-frozen yak. But as I sat there I had a flash of letters pop into my imagination, shove each other boisterously against the padded walls of my skull, then rearrange themselves into the pattern, Drat, Mrs Sow! Right then a mamma pig stepped on my toe, kicked me in the ankle, denigrated my 3rd generation Greek genes and told me not to be so damn rude. I was on my way home, somewhat contemplating a career in Dejection, when a Yeti in a pair of red dancing shoes tangoed crossed my path. He gave me a jaunty wave and I suddenly thought, that's it. 2 red dancing shoes. Two RDS. All that was left was to add smar for no particular reason other than flighty-on-the-floo, and the deed was done. I wrote smartwords with my finger in the snow and took a picture of the Yeti standing in front of it. Come out all blurry-like, but.

February 24, 2010

Prolagus commented on the word smartwords

Is it something like your words, literally?

February 24, 2010

ruzuzu commented on the word smartwords

I just tried to add it to your Wordie PRO! list, but I'm not seeing it there yet.

February 25, 2010

john commented on the word smartwords

Bilby, that's awesome*. I know, with the logo and whatnot there's a whiff of marketing about it. But having a mechanism to describe and connect words will allow for fun stuff. Like being able to connect words in ebooks to Wordnik** comments so that you can see comments on words while you read. Or being able to make your books aware of all the words you've ever listed, so you know whether or not to list things as you go. Open metadata formats have enabled lots of other good stuff, like blog feeds and podcasts. Creating one for words has potential too, I think.

Pro: forgot about that, and love it--thanks. Yes, maybe?

* Though snuffing moths isn't nice

** Or competing social logophile networks

February 25, 2010