Widgagletules
"I’ve been struggling to communicate with others what the new Internet ecosystem is made up of and it hit me a few minutes ago.They are Internet Connected Components ... What do you call them? Web Services doesn’t seem right. Web Parts, no, that’s what Microsoft calls Sharepoint things. JavaScript components? ... I think we need a non-branded name to generically refer to these things. What do you think?"
Tricky. Those things like the Flickr "zeitgeist" bar, the Adsense bar, Feedmap plugins, the odd little weather fairy things you see on LiveJournal blogs... what do you call them?
Lots of suggestions popping up in the comments at Robert's place.
"Blogdets", suggested by one commenter, sounds too much like blodgetts – of the Henry variety. Not a good set of resonances.
"Webplugs" sounds like some kind of internet-connected sex toy. Probably something that already exists on some grotty little adult site somewhere.
Robert's own suggestion, "ICC" (and the variations thereof suggested by other commenters) is kind of accurate, but not terribly memorable, descriptive or specific.
“Thingies”, “Widgets”, “Gadgets” - all too generic.
Ethan Stock offers “rawpotatoes”. The idea is attractive - but technically incorrect. His definition - “Why? Because they’re what you mash up” is a bit off. You might well grate raw potatoes for latkes or rösti, but if you were gunna mash up, you’d have to boil 'em first. OK. Pardon me while I flip my pedant bit back off.
I like “netules” - but that’s already taken, alas.
Plugules? Hmmm... sounds a bit nasty.
Or … ooh! Hang on - as these things are so very webby, and they work at pretty much the highest level of the Internet stack - mebbe we should be calling them “stacklets”?
‘k I’ll shuddup now.
