Language is a collective asset, and some might say that print dictionaries defy that point. After all, they collect a specific definition that was given in a moment in time, and that definition can become obsolete within weeks, days even.
That argument can be applied in a lot of different contexts, actually. The same is said about Law – when a Law has been created and printed, it can’t even hope to keep up with the pace in which reality changes and evolves. The Law itself ends up becoming unfair, for the mere reason that it won’t fit the actual state of affairs any longer.
At the other end of the specter, you have something like the Social Web – something that can (and does) change by the minute. And as such, it is something that really has what it takes for giving pint media like dictionaries a good run for their money. This site certainly does it. Named YouDefine.it, it is a social dictionary that is built by the collaborative efforts of people from all over the world. It is not really a social network, but it comes incredibly close. The key element here is the confection of content, and its permanent overhaul.
Leaving aside the value that YouDefine.it has from the point of view of linguistics, I think the site has the true merit of letting you realize how others see the world that you see. No other social resource centers the way it works so squarely on that, and the whole approach feels fresh and different in the end.
YouDefine.it In Their Own Words
“You define it.”
Why YouDefine.it It Might Be A Killer
The site highlights the dynamicity of the Social Web like little else.
Some Questions About YouDefine.it
Will the site ever move beyond English and cover multiple languages? 
