Zeitgeist Shmeitgeist
The next generation of web sites emerging have similar user-centric themes promoting ease-of-use and simplicity, but there is still plenty wrong with it. One of these things that isn’t overly important, but just as aggravating to me is the usage of words like Zeitgeist.
Sure, your site could look smart and cutting edge trying to be clever, but it also comes off like you’re trying a bit too hard to be Web 2.0. I’m curious as to what you’re gaining by making your visitors feel stupid due to their lack of vocabulary? Please don’t patronize me and act like the word zeitgeist is used in everyday conversation.
There’s something to be said about keeping it simple and straight forward. Does Zeitgeist describe that portion of your site better than the word Popular? I sincerely doubt it:
There’s a reason why I have an About Me page and not a page entitled Colophon.
I think they’re just copying google zeitgeist which has been around since 2001.
I actually left the Google Zeitgeist out of the list, because I feel like they’re actually using the word in the proper sense. And it’s Google, so they can do whatever they want ;-)
You’re going to hate our new Schadenfreude feature :P
The coffeeshop next to SourceLabs is called Zeitgeist, so my story is that we named that page after the coffee shop, and I’m sticking to it.
also see http://www.howisyourday.com/
Totally agree. Even though you can just type the word on wikipedia or answers.com, you are forcing your user to go to another site to know the meaning of a word that has a translation in english. That is one of the first things you learn in journalism: Don’t make your reader think but concentrate in the content. Si o no?
I don’t mean to patronise, but ‘colophon’ would not be an ‘about me’, but rather a ‘contact’ page.