Blurring the line between producer and consumer...

I thought that the following website was a really good example of how a traditional vehicle of information was being trasnsformed by virtue of the digital era. The site is: www.urbandictionary.com and it allows users to post definitions of words that you are very unlikely to find in the Collins Dictionary! So not only can you look up words, such as the many new phrases that gangsa rap has produced, but if you disagree with someone else's definition of a word you are able to challenge it and put forward your interpretation of the word or phrase. It is because of the possibility of such dialogue that I think is really innovative because on the whole I usually take what the "proper" dictionary has to say as gospel, whereas this give the user of term the powere to determine it's finer meaning.

There are definatley some pretty hilarious definitions, but it turns out to be a pretty useful tool for travellers. My sister has jsut moved to New York and is searching for an apartment. One of the ads specified that the guy hated "GWB" (George W Bush) and loved "NSC" which, after a search on "urban dictionary" turns out to be a fairly obscure independant newpaper.

Charlotte T