This post is part of the Glossary Series, a 100-day conversation designed to develop and clarify the language we use to describe online communication. As Year 2008 comes to a close, the emerging Glossary of Online Communication will be published along with a selection of the comments from my readership. I hope to see your comments among them.
Today’s word needs some work, as far as I’m concerned. This is Wikipedia’s definition. But I’ve seen it used in other ways. When Darren Rowse did his call for videos about “Why I Blog,” he said he’d do a “mashup” of all the entries. That doesn’t ring right with the Wikipedia definition below. What does it mean to you? How have you seen it used? I’d love to hear from digital natives on this one.
Day 7: Mashup
Mashup: n. Website or Web 2.0 application that uses content from more than one source to create a completely new service.
Okay, tell me what you know about "mashup." One thing I think about "mashup" is that it's a match for the creative process I'm watching develop through technology now.
Suzanna
See my response to Darren Rowse’s “Why I Blog” request.
See previous Glossary conversations.
Comments
A Mash Up can also result in unexpected and surprise endings. When you "mash up," you are taking a leap of faith that combining content or programming from previously unrelated sources can often times wind up being pleasant surprises and new discoveries.
Interesting, Alan. This sounds like a sort of improv of the brain, or even of the global brain, which could also supply tech innovators with new directions. Thinking of it this way, I can see how we are going in and out of "mash ups" as we are given new communication tools, see how people pick them up and use them, mash them with other new tools, and then ride along the new "track" we've created. It is very much a cultural collaboration.
Suzanna
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