Where's the "Book" on Facebook?

In a corporate cubicle, some young whizbang computer or marketing genius is conceiving of a name for the newest Web 2.0 program.

Seemingly nonsensical at first glance, such as the word Google* (search engine) or Joomla (a web page structure), it will be in common language in five years or less . . . maybe two years.

If all our pronouns haven't already been exhausted(I-tunes, You Tube, Meebo, etc. etc.) another "I", "You" or "Me" will be pressed into service to market the product to the many "me´s" of our world. Maybe not "We" although "Oui" is apparently selling.

Think back to a time, not very long ago, when Google meant . . . . . nothing. Now it is even a verb. In the not-too-distant past, if you wrote a book your manuscript worked its way through a general editor, a copy editor, various proofreaders who heavily invested their time to help you clearly express your ideas.You, your spouse and maybe your kids were practically married to the project. Hard work for months or years.

History, my fellow anachronism, history. That was the age of the book; this is the age of Facebook, with 175 million accounts.

How to take a name and make it a brand? Hmmm. I don’t know. How to make Java (not the coffee), Adobe (not the bricks) communicate a message saying “quality” to consumers? If I knew, I would be rich.

And I would run right out and buy Garage Band for our kids . . . and an Apple.

Next time, let's talk Twitter.

*10 to the 100^th power