In the comments to "Scholars Who Blog", Zizka (of "uncool when uncoolness is necessary" fame) argues that
Getting rid of the term 'blog' would be a major step in the road to respectability. It always reminds me of P. V. Glob's book, 'The Bog People', which Alexander Cockburn did indeed blog about. Blogging just sounds too much like one of the more private bodily functions.
So Glob wrote about a bog, which reminds Zizka of blog? I'm not familiar with "The Bog People," but if this is what "blog" calls to mind, I don't wonder that Zizka has some problems with it.
I have to say, I don't love the term either, though I now use it all the time. It's just not pleasant.
Posted by Invisible Adjunct at May 30, 2003 05:09 AMYeah, but "blog" sounds better than "self-hagiographic musings" (which could be abbreviated to "shams").
Posted by: John Lemon at May 30, 2003 07:12 AMAnd people say there's no such thing as phonaesthetics. Bah.
Posted by: Dorothea Salo at May 30, 2003 01:48 PMMy other favorite book title is "Grabb's Encyclopedia of Flaps", which is a plastic surgeon's reference. I can't figure out a way to relate it to the topic, but on the internet you don't really have to.
Posted by: zizka at May 30, 2003 02:56 PMSigh. I posted a whole long comment about the word "blog" in the previous comments section before seeing this entry. Oh well, there it is if you're interested.
Posted by: language hat at May 30, 2003 03:16 PMI don't have too many problems with "blog" -- it's short and easy to type and say.
"Blogroll" on the other hand, bothers me. It's uncomfortably close to "bogroll" -- the non-American English-speakers here probably know what I mean...
Posted by: Rana at May 30, 2003 06:25 PM"Blog" started as a joke. Peter Merholz said that he always pronounced the word "weblog" as we-blog. The then San Francisco A-list including the Pyra crowd thought this funny and took it up. Hence Blogger. Hence Blog.
Posted by: jam at May 31, 2003 01:14 AM