History Hope Work Focus Engage

What do the five words in this post's title mean? You tell me -- they're on the side margin on every page (except home) of Deval Patrick's new Inauguration Web site.

But wait, there are more vaguely inspiring words all over that blue background of the site. Lifted away, the words are "Gather Talk Respect Collaborate Share Debate Challenge Listen Learn Explore Join Understand Work Hard Celebrate Feel Trust Compromise Collaborate." And repeat.

I've never been a fan of those vacuous, empty-platitude worksite posters with these kinds of buzzwords. Given that many of us are waiting to see whether Patrick proves to be more than just good campaign-trail rhetoric, these words hanging around the inauguration site -- which I realize someone probably just picked off a template menu without much thought -- rubs me the wrong way.

Could just be me.

[David S. Bernstein]