Merriam-Webster said "blog" headed the list of most looked-up terms on its site during the last twelve months. Merriam-Webster defines a blog as: "a Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments and often hyperlinks".
I've always believed a blog was a tremendous method of communication with an awful, awful name. I suspect "blog" is the most looked-up term of 2004 notsomuch because of how popular they've become but because of how horrible the term sounds the first time you hear it. It's not an attractive handle for such a slick tool.
About a year ago, I tried to convince the Sales & Marketing department of a local software company that an industry blog was a progressive way to communicate to existing and potential clients, sharing beneficial information from the industry complete with commentary, hyperlinks to relevant articles and just the right sprinkle of marketing spin. My proposal was to be considered so long as it wasn't called a blog. Apparently, the decision maker in this case felt nobody knew what a blog was. I knew such an endeavour could only be called one thing and that by the end of the year anyone who surfs the web and reads even a little news would know what a blog was.
Not to brag, but I was bang on. As usual...
