Don't get me wrong. I don't have a deadline (*Shudders at the word*). And I did get some work done since my last post.
Even if I was book-licking again. "What the heck is book-licking?" Meg Cabot explains it here. I also wrote an earlier post on this subject as well.
Anyway, I got hung up on the proper usage of "google" as a verb. As in, searching for information using the Google search engine. Because 1) I wasn't sure if it was still just a slang word until I found out that it was actually included in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, and 2) if I would get sued by Google, Inc. if I inadvertently misused their trademark because I "genericized" it into an already commonplace and informal verb. So I googled "using google as a verb" on Google and came across Google's official blog post regarding this matter, written a few years ago (Um, where was I when this happened?).
That last sentence was pretty redundant, wasn't it? But that's how clear (albeit a tad anal-retentive) Google wants us to be when using "google" as a verb.
While Google's marketers are thrilled at the search engine's extreme popularity, I guess I can see the point that Google's trademark lawyers are trying to make. It's all about protecting a brand name, much like protecting one's rep from misinformation and miscommunication. I mean, have you ever heard of someone "googling" a topic on say, Yahoo or Bing? Ridiculous. Because you can only google things using Google. Duh. But unfortunately, too many people have generalized the term to encompass all sorts of searches on the Internet.
It's like when people continually mispronounce your name or misspell it, no matter how many times you try to correct them on its proper usage because it's disrespectful to your existence as a human being, as if they're denying you the very identity you chose for yourself.
My name, Julianne, happens to be one of those names that cause perpetual confusion. (I can't even find it on a keychain!) People have misspelled it time and again: Juliane, Julie Ann, Julieanna, and a whole bunch of incorrectness... I especially get offended when someone pronounces or spells my name as "Julien" or "Julian" when addressing me because these particular names are commonly given to BOYS. And even though I was named after my mom (Julieta, because she was born in July) and St. Anne, I still resent the fact that "Julianne" is considered by most baby name websites as the feminine derivative of "Julian," which means "of or belonging to Julius." As in, Julius Caesar.
I know I'm probably taking this too literally, but let me just say this: I am NOT the property of a dead Roman emperor who was backstabbed by a brute (perhaps the etymology of "brute" and "brutal" came from the ever-famous Shakespearean line, "Et tu Brutus"? I must "google" this later... Ha!). Although, in the French, Greek, and Spanish meaning of the name, it's supposed to mean "youthful." That's gotta make up for things, right?
Anyway, I'm digressing. Sorry about that.
Returning to the word "google" and why I got so hung up on its proper use so as not to get my arse slapped with a lawsuit once I get my story published...
The main character in my story is trying to dig up dirt on someone in order to put annoying rumors to rest and finally know the truth. She thought there'd be a news article regarding an arson incident, and quite possibly a murder, that would implicate the guy she's suspicious of. So naturally, because it's so commonly used as a verb in everyday life by practically everyone who's Internet savvy, I really needed to linger on the diction.
And as long as we're talking about Google...
I'm glad that it's back to normal after some days of its attempt to look like Bing. Not that I have anything against the backgrounds. But there's a kind of comfort in seeing the blank white background with the familiar logo (or surprise design, depending on the occasion) of Google greeting you as you begin your intricate web journeys. That, and I really don't like how there's a delay whenever I try to conduct an online search just because the background picture is still loading. If I want a customized background, I'll use the iGoogle feature. But as of now, I really prefer the look Google's had for years. The constancy of the plain, white background is somewhat comforting, especially if I'm going through a superlatively crappy day.
I know I just violated #8 on my "Procrastinator's Checklist." Blame it on my impulsive clicking and wandering attention-span. But as my friend Liliana says, "Remember: great art cannot be rushed! Just let the muses guide you!"
I'm going to violate #5 now on my "Procrastinator's Checklist." It may be close to midnight, and it probably won't make a difference anymore in my current weight, but I'm getting myself a bowl of cold, creamy, chocolatey ice cream. Mmm...
Maybe the sugar will help me think. ;)
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