27 Jul 2005
Today we have a quote sent in by a listener. It is a quote I really appreciate because I am guilty of the behavior described. The words are from John Kenneth Galbraith a Canadian economist just like me. Here is the quote: Faced with the choice between changing one’s mind and proving that there is [...]
25 Jul 2005
Another neologism for today. The word is captology. Captology is an emerging field of study related to the design, theory, and analysis of persuasive, not pervasive, technologies. It is the study of technologies that change attitudes and encourage behaviors instead of forcing behaviors. Captology lies at the intersection of computers and the art and science [...]
22 Jul 2005
Today’s word, wonk, was spotted at boingboing.net. The dictionary describes the noun wonk as an excessively studious student, a nerd or a geek. The modern connotation is more nuanced. Today wonk usually connotes a someone well versed or at least very interested in the details and rules. The BoingBoing post describes Ben Hammersley as an [...]
21 Jul 2005
Today we have a great new word that is both a neologism because you won’t find it in a dictionary and it is a portmanteau because it is a combination of two other words. It is screencast.A screencast is a recording of a computer screen. It is usually narrated. Screencasts are often used to explain [...]
20 Jul 2005
Today we have three f-words. Don’t worry, this is a family friendly podcast. The three words are: Fathom Furlong Fortnight These are all units of measurement. Fathom is a sailor’s term for describing the depth of water. A fathom is six feet deep or 1.8 meters. Not living near an ocean I never hear anyone [...]
19 Jul 2005
Today’s we have a rather obscure technical term from the world of geography. Antipodal is a word I came across in a BBC article. The article is about a replica of the U.K.’s famous stonehenge. This new henge is antipodal to the original. Which is to say it is on the opposite side of the [...]