Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Help

Quick cry for help - does anyone have access to the Oxford English Dictionary 2005 or 2006 edition, if so, could you please tell me what its definition of 'blog' is?

Many thanks!

Posted by patroclus at 08:17

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Happy to oblige! According to the online OED (which I think is the new edition), the verb 'To blog' is defined as follows:

'intr. To write or maintain a weblog. Also: to read or browse through weblogs, esp. habitually'. First usage: '1999 TBTF for 1999-08-30: Aibo Rampant in cistron.lists (Usenet newsgroup) 30 Aug., Blog..to run a Web log.' Also '2000 Whole Earth Winter 54/1 To blog is to be part of a community of smart, tech-savvy people who want to be on the forefront of a new literary undertaking'.

Blog (noun) takes you back to 'Weblog', which is defined as follows:

'1. A file storing a detailed record of requests handled (and sometimes also errors generated) by a web server'. This is first used 1993: 'comp.infosystems.www (Usenet newsgroup) 4 Nov. (title of posting) Announcing getsites 1.5, a Web log analyzer'.

Alternatively, '2. A frequently updated web site consisting of personal observations, excerpts from other sources, etc., typically run by a single person, and usually with hyperlinks to other sites; an online journal or diary'. This one is first used '1997 J. BARGER Lively New Webpage in alt.culture.www (Usenet newsgroup) 23 Dec., I decided to start my own webpage logging the best stuff I find as I surf, on a daily basis:..www.mcs.net/~jorn/html/weblog.html.'.

Oh dear - this is what a PhD in a literary subject will do to your brain... (hanging head in shame at evident OED-based obsession)

July 26, 2006 9:32 AM
frangelita said...

I have a copy of the real thing at home which I can look at at lunchtime if that helps.

July 26, 2006 10:33 AM
Moominmama said...

the online OED is the most up-to-date. you can cite it in an academic paper just as you would the tree-ware version.

July 26, 2006 11:06 AM
patroclus said...

Oo, brilliant - thanks all! Dissertation is now at 14,500 words and nearing completion, hurrah!

July 26, 2006 1:19 PM
Anonymous said...

Hooray! Good luck with the home stretch - you can do it. Fix your mind on the cocktail at the end of the tunnel. :)

July 26, 2006 3:24 PM
FirstNations said...

a marshy, yet flammable place usually filled with brine cured danes.

not even close, huh.

July 26, 2006 5:40 PM
Moominmama said...

FN: fantastic.

July 27, 2006 10:06 AM
Billy said...

*applause for FN*

I doubt my dictionary has blog in it, I'll just check...






...that'll be a no, then.

July 27, 2006 7:37 PM

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