In the work I’m doing, particularly within collaborative, wiki-style environments, words carry context. Each word, each phrase, isn’t simply a dictionary definition. It is shaped by the domain we are writing within, the values of that space, and the people contributing to it. Every term has a kind of home.
Let's look at an example.
# Humility
The word humility here (on my wiki), lives in a space quite different from the norm. When I use the term “humility” on this platform, what I really mean — shorthand — is radical humility. It’s a specific concept, deliberately chosen, even provocative in its juxtaposition. It isn’t just about being modest or unassuming. It’s something more textured, more demanding.
# Wiki-link
The use of a wiki-link here is deliberate as a way of indicating that a word has a meaning defined by the context - that is the wiki-page it links too with the title of the term. A wiki-link provides a built in Context Dictionary for a term that we use in a variety of ways.
# Poetry There is a poetry to the word when used like this, particularly in mobile-first, small-tech writing — where expression wants to breathe, not feel boxed-in or overly academic. The beauty of this kind of writing environment is that any word—say, humility — can be linked, expanded upon, and explored in deeper layers elsewhere. So, we allow ourselves to lean into suggestion, metaphor, and feeling.