I can't think of a job more tedious than lexicography. What I appreciate about Erin is her ability to take something as old as the hills (or at least the printing press) and twist it with a fresh perspective; an almost innovative idea. What I appreciate too is that she's not pushing for avant-garde. She says it best with, "I want him (her son) to think that this is what dictionaries used to look like... it's a format that died because it wasn't useful enough. It wasn't really what people needed." I also love that even though Erin is solely speaking of, oh let's call it communal lexicography, her words seem to transcend that topic alone, and hit points of application in almost every arena. I've compiled some of my favorite quotes from the video, and added commentary. Enjoy.
"When a guy who looks like that and has that hat is the face of modernity, you have a problem."
-Yes. This conjures up that timeless debate of conventional vs. contemporary. When does "tradition" go from being a legacy of something we are honored to be a part of, to becoming something that at best is ineffective and at worst is oppressive? This carries over into family traditions, company traditions, ideological, religious, and cultural traditions, etc.
"What a dictionary is, is it's Victorian design merged with a little bit of modern propulsion. It's steampunk."
-Absolutely! In fact, when I think of a dictionary, encyclopedia, or thesaurus, the very first image I get is my grandmother Virginia's bookshelf in her Victorian-esque living room. Even newer dictionaries often have a steampunk feel. I think the important concept is, and yes I'm stealing this phrase, "timeless truth and timely methods." The church, for instance, comes to mind. Why is repackaging so important? Not for the sake of being hip and trendy, but for the sake of being most effective. That's just one.
"Online dictionaries replicate almost all the problems of print, except for searchability. And when you improve searchability, you actually take away the one advantage of print, which is serendipity."
-I just like this because happenstance is one of my favorite pastimes.
"Lexicography is really more about material science. We are studying the tolerances of materials that you use to build the structure of your expression; your speeches and your writing."
-It's odd to think that we all articulate the way we do because some detail-guy/lady cared enough to search a thing out and write it down. A craftsman doesn't craft without tools built by another. I don't compose without a lineage of lexicographers. (Better yet, I don't alliterate well unless a lineage of lexicographers lead the way. See how good I am?)
And kind of a tangent, but I like the concept of taking what you love into a science. "The greats" (of anything really) always seemed to do this... to have nailed down their passions into a science; they know their forte inside and out so much so that "a great" becomes "a great" by means of redefinition and innovation, whether that means bending the malleable parts, shaving corners, or adding to the existing.
"Lexicography is not rocket science, but even if it were, rocket science is being done by dedicated amateurs these days."
-Definitely. I think a dedicated amateur can pull off a lot. In fact, I think I'll begin to refer to myself as a dedicated amateur.
"I want him to think that this is what dictionaries used to look like... it's a format that died because it wasn't useful enough. It wasn't really what people needed."
-I know it's already listed up there, but let's think it over. What needs to die? In your business, in your field of study, in your personal life. What needs to begin to be looked at as history instead of modernity?
My final two cents about Erin... the last thing I appreciate is her enthusiasm. I think I often underestimate the power of a passion. When what you love exudes from you, you can't help but be contagious. I gave lexicography a serious few seconds of thought as a career option after that lecture! When I see someone talk about something they love, I want to love it too.
You can find more from the quirky, lovable, thought-provoking Erin at: http://dictionaryevangelist.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment