The Big Word Project

Infobox Website
name = The Big Word Project


caption = The Big Word Project (as of April 8, 2008)
url = [http://thebigwordproject.com/ thebigwordproject.com]
type= Online Dictionary
owner = Paddy Donnelly and Lee Munroe
author = Paddy Donnelly and Lee Munroe
launch date = February 25, 2008

The Big Word Project is a website created by Paddy Donnelly and Lee Munroe, two Masters students from the University of Ulster, Belfast, Northern Ireland. [ [http://news.ulster.ac.uk/releases/2008/3690.html University Of Ulster News Release - The Big Word Project ] ] Launched on February 25, 2008, the project is aimed at redefining the English dictionary with websites. Users can buy a word from a list of over 170,000 at $1 a letter and that word is then permanently linked to a URL of their choice.

In its first week, the project saw thousands of visitors and added more than 2,000 words, thanks largely to a glowing review by the popular blog Daring Fireball. [ [http://www.irishnews.com/pageacc.asp?tser=ser&sid=582913 Irish News: Online dictionary allows users to create and buy new words ] ] [http://blog.thebigwordproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/irishnews.jpg] But growth cooled; seven weeks after launch, the site stood at 2,345 words. [http://thebigwordproject.com/, retrieved 17 April 2008.] However, an April 21 article in WIRED magazine [ [http://www.wired.com/techbiz/startups/magazine/16-05/st_alpha Grad Students Redefine Easy Money With $1-a-Letter Web Site ] ] renewed interest, and on May 22, the word count passed 5,000. [http://thebigwordproject.com/, retrieved 22 May 2008.]

Origin

The collaborative project was set up as part of Paddy and Lee’s Masters course in Multi-Disciplinary Design and drew upon Paddy’s viral marketing experience and Lee’s knowledge of Ruby on Rails applications and web usability. The creators, who are web designers, created a simplistic web 2.0-style website with few colours and no advertisements. [ [http://www.killerstartups.com/Web-App-Tools/Thebigwordprojectcom---Define-a-Word/ Thebigwordproject.com - Define a Word | Visit Thebigwordproj ] ]

Paddy is currently researching Viral Marketing, looking at how information is spread through word of mouth and the internet and how certain things can become phenomena overnight. Lee has been freelancing in web design and development for several years and is now concentrating his studies on web usability and web applications. [ [http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1370862952?bctid=1478199009 Irish News Breaking News Player ] ] The students wanted to create a mass collaboration project where a global movement could be made by combining a small effort from thousands of people and research what words mean to different people.

The project made use of a viral marketing campaign and relied on other people, primarily bloggers, spreading the word throughout the internet. The project has been featured in newspapers and magazines in Northern Ireland and beyond. [ [http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/Web-designers-offer-letters-for.3918042.jp Web designers offer letters for a dollar - Belfast Today ] ]

The Site

Once a word is purchased, that word is then 'redefined' on [http://thebigwordproject.com The Big Word Project] , no longer having a traditional meaning but linking to a URL of the owners’ choice. The homepage consists of a random selection of 100 bought words and users can click a word to visit the new ‘definition’. Users can search for a word from the list of 170,000 or view them alphabetically.

The site contains a [http://blog.thebigwordproject.com blog] following the creators’ studies, press for the project and interesting websites submitted to the project.

The money gained from the site has gone towards paying their student fees.

References

External links

* [http://www.thebigwordproject.com The Big Word Project]
* [http://blog.thebigwordproject.com The Big Word Project Blog]