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Monkey-Proof Naming

  • Sep. 21st, 2007 at 10:39 PM
warm smile
So it seems that Dave Winer thinks that my friend (though some may argue otherwise) [info]brad and the rest of us shouldn't be using the term "social graph". "Social Graph" is a horrible term when dealing with non-geeks and even for geeks it elicits arguments about what type of graph it actually is.

So yes Dave, we are all talking about "social networks"! That said, I do think there is value in respecting Zuckerburg's prior uses of the phrase. So what about a compromise, "graph" for geeks and "network" for everyone else?

Comments

[info]sherm wrote:
Sep. 22nd, 2007 06:41 am (UTC)
I can't think of many surer signs that you're doing the right thing than Dave Winer bitching about it. :P
[info]vanbeast wrote:
Sep. 22nd, 2007 06:48 am (UTC)
amen.
[info]folk wrote:
Sep. 22nd, 2007 10:21 am (UTC)
Seriously.
[info]hober wrote:
Sep. 22nd, 2007 03:36 pm (UTC)
Pretty much, yeah.
(Anonymous) wrote:
Sep. 22nd, 2007 12:14 pm (UTC)
Yes that makes sense
Sure. It was just bothering me when I saw reporters, lawyers and VCs struggling to explain the diff betw a social network and a social graph and getting it horribly wrong. They really are confused.
[info]brad wrote:
Sep. 22nd, 2007 05:40 pm (UTC)
Graph has the advantage you can talk about directed vs. undirected graphs, the edges, and other properties of the graph, using the same set of vocabulary which is already well-defined and undisputed. After all, we're using this to talk amongst ourselves to solve problems, not talking to users yet anyway.

[info]loic wrote:
Sep. 23rd, 2007 12:53 am (UTC)
I was a little confused at the Facebook Platform launch when Zuckerberg used that phrase. I don't know that "social network" is a better or less technical phrase, but its one that people are more used to.

Separate from all that I don't know that either of those terms are great for describing to people what we want to open or giving them much of an idea of the potential of it.

PS: Dave Winer is mad.