The Urban Dictionary

Recently I came across an interesting website, www.urbandictionary.com. My initial perception of another dictionary website was of distaste. However, upon closer inspection I soon began to realize that this was not the same as www.dictionary.com, the Cambridge online dictionary or even Google’s dictionary. This was a dictionary where people could literally define their own words. Let’s take for example the word "blog". I’m sure we are all familiar with this word as this is what we are creating. Blog is easily defined as an online diary, correct? One interesting entry that attempts to define the word blog found on the urban dictionary stated, “A recent and disturbing trend on the internet. A blog lets people easily post comments onto a webpage…These people have such massive egos and are so narcissistic that they believe that other people would be interested in reading their pointless ramblings” (Whodey). Two things come to mind while reading this comment. One, the Urban Dictionary has become popular culture and two blogging is following in the same footsteps. Whether it’s an attempt to define a word or make an opinion both are utilizing the internet to spread to the many desktops and laptops around the world. Another interesting thing to note is that Whodey attempts to define the word blog while stating his opinion. I believe that the Urban Dictionary is just another blog medium, albeit a truncated one. The fact that this is possible allows anyone to deliver their definition of a word in the form of an opinion. Furthermore, the fact that anyone can define a word and have it globally accepted allows this dictionary a part of culture. I might as well attempt my own definition on popular culture, but why when I need only look at the Urban Dictionary and others have already attempted?