My Fat Green Sex Cancer Secret

Prepare to be disappointed by this blog entry.

According to a New York Times article from earlier this week, the words in this subject line are the top words for attracting attention in press releases and on search engines. Here are the terms that no longer work well: “solutions,” “leading edge,” “cutting edge,” “state of the art,” “mission critical,” and “turnkey.”

Colleges and universities also work hard to garner attention. The challenge, of course, is to present more vividly and distinctively—in a William and Mary context—what precisely we mean by “diversity,” “liberal arts,” “research,” and “value.” After all, the word “secret” may generate interest, but the lack of specificity that leaves an institution’s best qualities secretive will lose that interest in a hurry.

– Henry Broaddus