Imagine my surprise when my technorati ego surfing pointed to a blog that linked back to me due to a random google search for the word cliche (deep breath).
I was a little confused, though, as the link you provided, to my entry entitled Like cliches to the sea, does not match the supplied description. The words “Into which sci-fi crew would I best fit?” belong to another entry altogether. Was that a googlemashing, or did you do that yourself?
Also, by what criteria did you select that link over the hundreds of thousands of others provided by google? Yes, I'm looking for commentary.
Hi Paul. My process is fairly straightforward. I google the word "cliches" and batch a page of results, which usually means 4 or 5 unique citations. (I'd do everything on the page if they were all unique.) These go on a page from which I take one citation each time I list a cliche and provide possible rewrites. When I run out, I do another batch from the next page of unique results -- I'm up to page 24 on Google now.
When I build the batch page, I use the title and brief description that Google supplies in the result, which is where yours came from. Sometimes I can match a cliche theme with a citation, but often they do not match. The idea is to show my readers what else is on the Internet about cliches.
Although I know there are probably new citations on previous Google pages, I go with consecutive pages because it makes it easier to make sure I'm not backtracking and it helps me keep track of what I haven't cited yet. Today there are more than six and a half million results pages on Google for the term "cliches"!
I hope that makes sense. Thanks for asking!
2:39 PM
Anonymous said...
Soooo...
Did you actually look at the page, or did you just drag the link off google?
I think in this case, I dragged it off of google. When I read it, it made sense, implying (in my mind) that being "fit" into a sci-fi crew was clichesque (my word).
Now that I've seen the page, I probably would not have cited it because the only thing that applies to cliches is the title. Google saw the word and gave it as a result. Then they displayed a description that had nothing to do with the page -- maybe it has something to do with the way the template displays content.
In hindsight, I should have looked at the page. I should look at every citation page, and I will from here on.
2:54 PM
Anonymous said...
That's what I refer to as a 'googlemashing.' As you say, due to the way the blog template is set up, google sees the title as associated with the wrong description. In fact, come to think of it, the sci-fi crew line is the title of the previous entry.
My cliche reference only makes sense if you click the links included in the entry. I was making reference to a fellow blogger who had commented that he was joining in on an internet meme 'like a lemming,' and pointing out that the lemmings cliche is inaccurate. Lemmings do not, in fact, behave the way everyone thinks they do.
Meaning: got it done well. Use examples. Rewrite 1:spikedtv1a it Rewrite 2: hammered it home Rewrite 3: hit it square on the mark Rewrite 4: dotted the bull’s eye
Comment: Similar to “aced it.” Rewrite 1 can relate to sports (e.g., volleyball), so watch where you use it. Rewrite 4 may be a little more obscure, but I think it gets across the idea of spiking or nailing the target dead center.
More reading about clichés What I found when I googled “clichés”: • Like Clichés to the Seas: “Into which sci-fi crew would I best fit?”
Note: By providing links to other websites I am only showing you what is out there about clichés – I am not endorsing any content or opinion expressed there.
Check out the searchable alphabetical list of all my cliché rewrites available in the archive list at the right.
posted by Booksville Bookclub at 11:06 AM on Mar 9, 2006
6 Comments
Close this window Jump to comment formImagine my surprise when my technorati ego surfing pointed to a blog that linked back to me due to a random google search for the word cliche (deep breath).
I was a little confused, though, as the link you provided, to my entry entitled Like cliches to the sea, does not match the supplied description. The words “Into which sci-fi crew would I best fit?” belong to another entry altogether. Was that a googlemashing, or did you do that yourself?
Also, by what criteria did you select that link over the hundreds of thousands of others provided by google? Yes, I'm looking for commentary.
12:28 PM
Hi Paul. My process is fairly straightforward. I google the word "cliches" and batch a page of results, which usually means 4 or 5 unique citations. (I'd do everything on the page if they were all unique.) These go on a page from which I take one citation each time I list a cliche and provide possible rewrites. When I run out, I do another batch from the next page of unique results -- I'm up to page 24 on Google now.
When I build the batch page, I use the title and brief description that Google supplies in the result, which is where yours came from. Sometimes I can match a cliche theme with a citation, but often they do not match. The idea is to show my readers what else is on the Internet about cliches.
Although I know there are probably new citations on previous Google pages, I go with consecutive pages because it makes it easier to make sure I'm not backtracking and it helps me keep track of what I haven't cited yet. Today there are more than six and a half million results pages on Google for the term "cliches"!
I hope that makes sense. Thanks for asking!
2:39 PM
Soooo...
Did you actually look at the page, or did you just drag the link off google?
;p
8:43 PM
I think in this case, I dragged it off of google. When I read it, it made sense, implying (in my mind) that being "fit" into a sci-fi crew was clichesque (my word).
Now that I've seen the page, I probably would not have cited it because the only thing that applies to cliches is the title. Google saw the word and gave it as a result. Then they displayed a description that had nothing to do with the page -- maybe it has something to do with the way the template displays content.
In hindsight, I should have looked at the page. I should look at every citation page, and I will from here on.
2:54 PM
That's what I refer to as a 'googlemashing.' As you say, due to the way the blog template is set up, google sees the title as associated with the wrong description. In fact, come to think of it, the sci-fi crew line is the title of the previous entry.
My cliche reference only makes sense if you click the links included in the entry. I was making reference to a fellow blogger who had commented that he was joining in on an internet meme 'like a lemming,' and pointing out that the lemmings cliche is inaccurate. Lemmings do not, in fact, behave the way everyone thinks they do.
4:38 PM
Cool. Thanks for clarifying.
11:05 AM