Comments on: Plastic words

By: Dave Bonta

Dave Bonta — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 17:49:53 +0000

In reply to Torsten.

Ha! Glad to help… even if by “help” you mean “confuse further.” :)

Yeah, it’s funny — this site used to have better SEO before Google’s Penguin update to its search algorithm last year. Now it’s hard to figure out why certain posts get traffic and others don’t. (I should point out, though, that these older posts had lots of comments originally, but I lost them all when I moved to WordPress in 2006.)

By: Torsten

Torsten — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 10:58:42 +0000

I stumbled upon this article whilst looking for information on “information”, which turns out to be a plastic word now. Mm…. This makes things a lot more confusing. Thanks for that, though. ;)

Besides, I’m glad I’m the second poster within one week in this thread after 9 years of silence. Are we having a trend here? ;)

By: Winslow

Winslow — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 17:27:41 +0000

In reply to Dave Bonta. Ah, yes, you know your Illich!

By: Dave Bonta

Dave Bonta — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 16:07:04 +0000

In reply to Winslow. Thanks for commenting. Re: life as idol, yes, I believe Illich expanded on that insight in the last chapter of David Cayley's book Ivan Illich in Conversation, as well.

By: Winslow

Winslow — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 14:29:34 +0000

Thanks for the good explanation of plastic words, a powerful concept.

Ivan Illich, a friend of Poerksen’s, shocked his friend by pointing out that “life” is a plastic word. There is a Canadian radio program about this, “Life as Idol,” a purloined copy of which is available here for downloading: http://www.altruists.org/downloads/audio/ (Search and ye shall find; the other Illich programs are well worth listening, too, as well.)

Re words as magic: I believe the words grammar and glamour share a common root, referring to those powers available to those who could work with written words. I put a spell on you, etc.