Webinar
Today, I found out that “webinar” is not a new concoction. The OED tells us:
orig. U.S. Business
A seminar conducted over the Internet, allowing participants to interact with one another in real time.
1997 DM News (Nexis) 8 Dec. 8 The organization of the Webinar’s content and presentation is being handled by Clarify.
2004 Post-Standard (Syracuse, N.Y.) 18 Apr. E2/6 Participants in the Webinars can e-mail questions to experts, with some addressed during the sessions.
2008 Wall St. Jrnl. 24 June A12 (advt.) Attending our free monthly webinars gives you great exposure to new ideas that can drive your business.
The first mention seems to be from over 11 years ago! I just hope that this “word” disappears soon. :(
In general, I have nothing against new words…well, as long as there is a reason to have them. There is really no reason to add “webinar” to the language as seminar works just as well, if not better.