Bebo founder Michael Birch is now backing Wordia.com, an online video dictionary website. 

Wordia founder Edward Baker used the anniversary of the birth of the first modern English dictionary to declare the "death" of the print dictionary and garnish a lot of attention at the expense of someone who's been dead for a couple of centuries.

Baker said using video to let people explain what a word means would help people learn words more easily, helping definitions come "more alive." Each video is being screened by dictionary publisher Harper Collins (Wonder how they feel about being declared dead...) to make sure the accurate definition and meaning of the word is portrayed correctly.

So far the site has 250 video definitions uploaded and Wordia is filming celebrities describing their favorite words. Baker currently has a bunch of Brit-speakers, but recognizes the need for getting Yank accents on the site, America being the biggest English speaking market. 

However, Baker anticipates arguments over the meaning and use of American English words, and Wordia currently has a watchlist for words describing sexual acts. Personal attacks are also no-nos.

Wordia anticipates making money by selling advertising.

For more:
- The London Telegraph reports on the online video dictionary. Article [1]

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