What do you call things like Flickr, Microsoft Gadgets, Google Maps, Amazon Affiliate parts?

November 7, 2005 By

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.

Hear me out.

When you go to Kayak Buzz or ZVents, what do you see? Two ICCs. One is a Google Map. Another is a AdSense bar.

When you go to Dave Winer’s blog, what do you see? One ICC. It’s the Community Directory on the right side that points to an OPML file somewhere else on the Internet.

When you go to Gabe Rivera’s blog, what do you see? One ICC. It’s the Memeorandum box that you can put on your own site.

When you go to Caterina Fake’s blog, what do you see? One ICC. It’s the Flickr bar to the right side of her blog.

When you go to Naked Conversations, our book blog, what do you see? Two ICCs. One from Amazon and one from Google.

Visit my blog here and you’ll see one ICC: FeedMap.

OK, that’s what I’m going to call these things from now on. What do you call them? Web Services doesn’t seem right. Web Parts, no, that’s what Microsoft calls Sharepoint things. JavaScript components? Hmmm, I guess they are. Gabe calls them “Widgets.” Nah, those have other contexts. Doesn’t OSX call their components for their desktop “widgets?”

Flickr calls them “bits” but you can’t search Google or MSN or Yahoo for “bits.” There’s hardly any listings at all for Internet Connected Components, though.

The Virtual Earth team calls its ICC a “MapControl.” Google’s map team doesn’t call them anything. You just call their API. Yahoo’s Map team just calls their ICC an API.

Microsoft is branding its Internet Connected Components as “Gadgets” and that’s OK, but I think we need a non-branded name to generically refer to these things. What do you think? What do you call them when you’re telling other Web developers about these objects? In fact, calling them Internet Connected Objects makes sense too (and there’s even fewer hits on Google and MSN for a search on that).

By the way, anyone have a directory of ICC’s?

Update: Ethan Stock calls them “rawpotatoes.”

Filed Under: Blog Tips, Web
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  • http://blogs.msdn.com/alexbarn Alex Barnett

    Distributed Web Bits, or Dweebs…?

    Search results here:

    http://blogs.msdn.com/alexbarn/archive/2005/11/07/490154.aspx

  • http://blogs.msdn.com/alexbarn Alex Barnett

    Distributed Web Bits, or Dweebs…?

    Search results here:

    http://blogs.msdn.com/alexbarn/archive/2005/11/07/490154.aspx

  • http://spaces.msn.com/members/mthddirector Matthew

    I like modules too – just got done writing about that on my blog- because I think both portability and modularity are key components to the emerging business model.

  • http://spaces.msn.com/members/mthddirector Matthew

    I like modules too – just got done writing about that on my blog- because I think both portability and modularity are key components to the emerging business model.

  • http://www.immergetech.com/ Joshua Blake

    Robert,
    Why “Internet Connected Modules” and not “Connected Internet Modules?” In quotes that has zero hits. Regardless of the specific name I think that in general these things would be one small part of the internet, thus internet modules, that are connected. Plus, I think CIM is a more approachable acronym to the non-geek than ICM. Mess around with the words a bit and you could get something more pronouncable.

  • http://michaelocc.com/ Michael O’Connor Clarke

    Tricky.

    Blogdets 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.

    ICC and variations thereof is accurate, but not terribly memorable, descriptive or specific.

    “Thingies”, “Widgets”, “Gadgets” – all too generic.

    Ethan’s “rawpotatoes” idea is attractive – although technically incorrect. His definition – “Why? Because they’re what you mash up” is a bit off. You might grate raw potatoes for latkes or rosti, but if you were gunna mash up, you’d have to boil ‘em

    I like “netules” – but that’s already taken (http://www.davidmandel.com/Products/Netule.php)

    Plugules?

    Or … ooh! Hang on – as these things are so very webby, and they work at pretty much the highest level of the Internet stack – how about “stacklets” :-)

    ‘k I’ll shuddup now.

  • http://www.immergetech.com Joshua Blake

    Robert,
    Why “Internet Connected Modules” and not “Connected Internet Modules?” In quotes that has zero hits. Regardless of the specific name I think that in general these things would be one small part of the internet, thus internet modules, that are connected. Plus, I think CIM is a more approachable acronym to the non-geek than ICM. Mess around with the words a bit and you could get something more pronouncable.

  • http://michaelocc.com Michael O’Connor Clarke

    Tricky.

    Blogdets 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.

    ICC and variations thereof is accurate, but not terribly memorable, descriptive or specific.

    “Thingies”, “Widgets”, “Gadgets” – all too generic.

    Ethan’s “rawpotatoes” idea is attractive – although technically incorrect. His definition – “Why? Because they’re what you mash up” is a bit off. You might grate raw potatoes for latkes or rosti, but if you were gunna mash up, you’d have to boil ‘em

    I like “netules” – but that’s already taken (http://www.davidmandel.com/Products/Netule.php)

    Plugules?

    Or … ooh! Hang on – as these things are so very webby, and they work at pretty much the highest level of the Internet stack – how about “stacklets” :-)

    ‘k I’ll shuddup now.

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  • http://www.richbrownell.com/ Richard Brownell

    What about Modular Online Programs? That way, you get MOPs. How many MOPs do you have on your website?

  • http://www.richbrownell.com Richard Brownell

    What about Modular Online Programs? That way, you get MOPs. How many MOPs do you have on your website?

  • http://mikeabundo.com/ Mike

    In the Philippines, vestigial archipelagic thinking makes too many people regard these things as closed groups instead of open services. Thus, around here, I use the term “Web services” to counter that mentality.

  • http://mikeabundo.com Mike

    In the Philippines, vestigial archipelagic thinking makes too many people regard these things as closed groups instead of open services. Thus, around here, I use the term “Web services” to counter that mentality.

  • http://www.geise.com/ PXLated

    I vote for WebWidgets (WW). Fits nicely with the WorldWideWeb (WWW)
    Display it as…WWW

  • http://www.geise.com PXLated

    I vote for WebWidgets (WW). Fits nicely with the WorldWideWeb (WWW)
    Display it as…WWW

  • http://larryborsato.com/ Larry Borsato

    How about “Weblets”?

  • http://larryborsato.com Larry Borsato

    How about “Weblets”?

  • http://www.tomorrowconnecting.biz/ Mike Stopforth

    I like Dweebs. “Wickets” works too (being that the ICC is the International Cricket Council and wickets are the focal point of th egame of cricket :) ).

    How about jobbies? Little thing that does a job.

  • http://www.tomorrowconnecting.biz Mike Stopforth

    I like Dweebs. “Wickets” works too (being that the ICC is the International Cricket Council and wickets are the focal point of th egame of cricket :) ).

    How about jobbies? Little thing that does a job.

  • Steck

    How about DCM:
    Dynamically Connected Module(s)
    Dynamic Communication Module(s)

    Or DSM:
    Dynamic Search Module(s)

    Or just DM:
    Dynamic Module(s)

    I like the word “Dynamic” because it descibes the modules to a T!

    “Of or relating to energy or to objects in motion.”
    “Characterized by continuous change, activity, or progress” – http://www.answers.com/dynamic

    But at the end of the day I vote for simplicity: just call it a “Module”.

    People will understand that it is “connected” to the “internet” just by using it. I don’t think those two words are necessary. In conversation, you can tell someone you have a calendar module, a map module and a Flickr module on your website. Same goes for the addition of Dynamic: a dynamic calendar module, a dynamic map module and a dynamic Flickr module. Easy.

  • Steck

    How about DCM:
    Dynamically Connected Module(s)
    Dynamic Communication Module(s)

    Or DSM:
    Dynamic Search Module(s)

    Or just DM:
    Dynamic Module(s)

    I like the word “Dynamic” because it descibes the modules to a T!

    “Of or relating to energy or to objects in motion.”
    “Characterized by continuous change, activity, or progress” – http://www.answers.com/dynamic

    But at the end of the day I vote for simplicity: just call it a “Module”.

    People will understand that it is “connected” to the “internet” just by using it. I don’t think those two words are necessary. In conversation, you can tell someone you have a calendar module, a map module and a Flickr module on your website. Same goes for the addition of Dynamic: a dynamic calendar module, a dynamic map module and a dynamic Flickr module. Easy.

  • http://spaces.msn.com/members/volatilechar Dileepa P

    ICC = International Cricket Council
    ICC = Internet Chamber of Commerce

    Let’s not corrupt ICC! :)

  • http://spaces.msn.com/members/volatilechar Dileepa P

    ICC = International Cricket Council
    ICC = Internet Chamber of Commerce

    Let’s not corrupt ICC! :)

  • http://nomadlife.org/ Dody G.

    Or use “wegets” for “web gadgets” or “web widgets”

  • http://nomadlife.org Dody G.

    Or use “wegets” for “web gadgets” or “web widgets”

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  • http://laurencetimms.com/blog.html laurence timms

    I really don’t care what they’re called; the market will decide.

    The *catalog* of ICCs, however, is http://programmableweb.com. Loads of APIs and mashups listed, fully tagged up. Top site.

  • http://laurencetimms.com/blog.html laurence timms

    I really don’t care what they’re called; the market will decide.

    The *catalog* of ICCs, however, is http://programmableweb.com. Loads of APIs and mashups listed, fully tagged up. Top site.

  • Ben

    Ooh I like Larry’s “weblets”! Everyone knows that anything ending in a -let is supposed to be a little thing that drops in somewhere else. Applet, portlet, servlet, etc.

    Hmm crap, looks like it’s already in use, including something from IBM that’s web browser based but is heavier and uses Java also.

    Well i still would love to call them weblets. That little company can just change their product name or something.

    ICM has the advantage that it almost sounds like ICBM and … uh … they could be used intercontinentally? Erm.

  • Ben

    Ooh I like Larry’s “weblets”! Everyone knows that anything ending in a -let is supposed to be a little thing that drops in somewhere else. Applet, portlet, servlet, etc.

    Hmm crap, looks like it’s already in use, including something from IBM that’s web browser based but is heavier and uses Java also.

    Well i still would love to call them weblets. That little company can just change their product name or something.

    ICM has the advantage that it almost sounds like ICBM and … uh … they could be used intercontinentally? Erm.

  • http://teamaskins.net/ Ben Askins

    Anything but another acronym. How about…

    weblets
    pagelets
    webbits (be vewwy vewwy quiet… we’re hunting webbits)

    And I like netplugs or webplugs… cool.

  • http://teamaskins.net/ Ben Askins

    Anything but another acronym. How about…

    weblets
    pagelets
    webbits (be vewwy vewwy quiet… we’re hunting webbits)

    And I like netplugs or webplugs… cool.

  • http://teamaskins.net/ Ben Askins

    Or (with toungue firmly in cheek) “ajaxlets”, “applets 2.0″, or “social softlets” ;-)

  • http://teamaskins.net/ Ben Askins

    Or (with toungue firmly in cheek) “ajaxlets”, “applets 2.0″, or “social softlets” ;-)

  • http://peterdawson.typepad.com/ /pd

    Yeah jim moore has blogged about the ecosystem and called them “web super services” – I think we should term them that WSS thingy :) -

    I actually have flickr bar, wondair, googles ad box and I term them as “slap ons”. I can slap them onto my blog and change the layout and content easily.

  • http://peterdawson.typepad.com /pd

    Yeah jim moore has blogged about the ecosystem and called them “web super services” – I think we should term them that WSS thingy :) -

    I actually have flickr bar, wondair, googles ad box and I term them as “slap ons”. I can slap them onto my blog and change the layout and content easily.

  • http://geoperdis.wordpress.com/ geoperdis

    In a broader context, they would be mediaware

  • http://geoperdis.wordpress.com/ geoperdis

    In a broader context, they would be mediaware

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  • Alex Popov

    I know Ethan is calling them “rawpotatoes”- and I recently heard “RawTaters”.. thats funny Bcuz my ex girlfriend told me if you blend potatoes in a blender at high speed it turns into a glue… maybe these guys know that too: http://www.suprglu.com/

  • Alex Popov

    I know Ethan is calling them “rawpotatoes”- and I recently heard “RawTaters”.. thats funny Bcuz my ex girlfriend told me if you blend potatoes in a blender at high speed it turns into a glue… maybe these guys know that too: http://www.suprglu.com/

  • Orbit

    useless bandwidth :)

  • Orbit

    useless bandwidth :)

  • http://phatfunky.wordpress.com/ phatfunky

    jesus christ, they’re stuff. who gives a toss what they’re called? have you actually ever had a girlfriend mate?!?

  • http://phatfunky.wordpress.com/ phatfunky

    jesus christ, they’re stuff. who gives a toss what they’re called? have you actually ever had a girlfriend mate?!?

  • http://www.folknology.com/ Al

    Scoblets

    Named after their blogger
    ;)

  • http://phatfunky.wordpress.com/ phatfunky

    no wonder ms software is so flakey if that’s what it’s employees spend their time musing over.

  • http://www.folknology.com Al

    Scoblets

    Named after their blogger
    ;)

  • http://phatfunky.wordpress.com/ phatfunky

    no wonder ms software is so flakey if that’s what it’s employees spend their time musing over.

  • http://www.folknology.com/ Al

    A few more suggestions:

    Jaxlets (they are not very asynchronous)
    Hacklets (as in hacked together web)
    Mashlets (as in mashed up)
    Mixlets (as usedfor remixing)

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