(auto): Eat More Words was going to be a logophilia site (that is, devoted to devotees of words), with online access to the O.E.D., a community blog, and so forth. Membership was inexpensive, and it was being started by some cool people (for example, Caterina).

Eat more words

Monday 19 May 2003This is more than 22 years old. Be careful.

Eat More Words was going to be a logophilia site (that is, devoted to devotees of words), with online access to the O.E.D., a community blog, and so forth. Membership was inexpensive, and it was being started by some cool people (for example, Caterina). So I joined.

Today comes news in an email that the O.E.D. was not going to let them provide online access, so the venture is a bust.

Although it’s too bad the site didn’t work out, I have enjoyed my brief membership anyway. The entire venture was classy, intelligent, good-natured, and optimistic, from start to finish. For me it represented the best of what the web has to offer: building something simple but useful, bringing people together, offering infinite variety, and making the world just a little bit more interesting.

The final email asked what I would like them to do with my membership fee (refund it, refund it minus PayPal costs they incurred, or donate it to a bookish charity). Something about the middle choice brought home the non-business aspect of this endeavor, and underscored for me how it was really just a small group of interested people trying to bring something new into the world.

BTW: if you’re interested in sampling the cool intersection of books and blogs, take a gander at Weblog Bookwatch and All Consuming. Each automatically scans recent blog postings for mention of books or other media, and compiles lists of popular titles.

Comments

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thanks for your kind words, ned!

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