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Last January, when we were planning the launch of this community site, we (okay, I) really struggled with the names of two topics: Blogs about our emotional inner lives, and blogs about blogging and social media.
We launched Jan. 30 with two topics called Personal and Blogging & Social Media. Today we are happy to unveil their new names: Personal is now Life, and you'll find all writing about Social Media in our new global Technology & Web section that boasts seven brilliant geeks: Class V, Zadi Diaz, Jan Kabili, Marianne Richmond, Laura Scott, Nicole Simon, and Lisa Williams.
In case you're interested, the "why" behind this decision is a fun story. Blogging & Social Media became too limited for the contributing editors, women like Marianne Richmond, Nicole Simon and Zadi Diaz, who have a lot to say about Technology & Web. This easy fix (hat-tip to all, especially Nicole Simon for her plea for a global Tech & Web category), emancipates them. And it was a little confusing too - I mean, every topic could say "Blogging & (insert other name here)."
But B&SM, that unfortunately acronym ;), was not as confusing as yours truly made the Personal topic name decision back in January. Oooh, I was tortured over it when we were launching this site. What, I asked, do we call the space where we blog what's happening in the thought bubbles over our heads? I bugged everyone - taxonomists I know, who advised me to keep the list of topics short for starters. Strategists I know, who recoiled from words like Diary and Living. "Bleccch," was the universal response to those.
Jory had an idea.
"Let's just call it Life."
"No," I said, blithely ignoring the fact that Jory actually blogs about the thought-bubbles over her head, whereas I simply IM them to my sisters and never record them. I dissed the idea soundly. "Too Live-Journal-y, no offense to them. Too much locked-diary in that title. Sounds like an encounter group. Does BlogHer want to go there? These women want to be taken seriously. And isn't every single category about Life?"
"Well, yeah. But you could say that about some of these others too."
Jory was right. Then and now. The blogging that our Contributing Editors do in this section is all about Life. Witness Chantel Williams' beautiful piece on emancipating her daughter from a mercantile Mother's Day and elderbloggers: That's What Blogs Are For. And don't get me started on what Grace Davis has taught me about our time here on this planet (start here).
And when I asked everyone about the name change? Utter enthusiasm.
So thanks, Jory, for teaching me a little something about life. I finally came around.
