3 ms·

I agree it sounds childish, but I think it can be a necessary counterbalance to the marketing-speak which will inevitably frame things in the most favorable pos

by imgabe 10y ago

I agree it sounds childish, but I think it can be a necessary counterbalance to the marketing-speak which will inevitably frame things in the most favorable possible light. I mean, just look at the name - Uber. What does it mean? Superior, the best, etc. Ubermensch - "This place is uber cool!". I think if you're using the name and trying to criticize it, the name itself is contradicting and undermining your point every time you bring it up. Maybe something like "Goober" is too far and silly. Maybe just use something neutral like "Ride-Sharing App U".

phamilton 10y ago
But "Ride-Sharing App U" isn't a pun on the concept that drivers are paid peanuts. Goober is slang for peanut. He was making a joke.
- qbrass 10y ago
  Or, because Goober is slang for a bumpkin. The joke is that it's an inversion of Uber.
  - phamilton 10y ago
    Why not both!
smsm42 10y ago
The name may mean "superior" but being an adult means recognizing that something named "superior" not necessarily is. By trying to rename it you implicitly admit your failure at that - so that the only way for you to not think about something as "superior" is not to use name that means "superior". I don't think it's an effective strategy in persuading somebody it's not actually superior. Most reasonable people would still see the difference between name and actual qualities.
- dwaltrip 10y ago
  Being an informed adult also means recognizing the inherent limitations of the human brain that allow for the framing, presentation, context, and social group perception of a thing (as seen in branding, marketing, opinion essays, and many other places) to considerably affect how we think and feel about different aspects of the world. Some might even call this a feature -- such cognitive shortcuts and heuristics allow us to assess threats in our environment, enjoy the warmth and aesthetics of a newly purchased jacket, or complete a shopping trip to the grocery store in a reasonable amount of time. Through large efforts of will we can begin to become aware of this in ourselves, and then attempt to mitigate the negatives to a small degree. However, we can't do much beyond that.
08-15 10y ago
To a German, "Uber" means "I cannot spell." (SCNR.)

by imgabe 10y ago

phamilton 10y ago

But "Ride-Sharing App U" isn't a pun on the concept that drivers are paid peanuts. Goober is slang for peanut. He was making a joke.

qbrass 10y ago
Or, because Goober is slang for a bumpkin. The joke is that it's an inversion of Uber.
- phamilton 10y ago
  Why not both!

smsm42 10y ago

The name may mean "superior" but being an adult means recognizing that something named "superior" not necessarily is. By trying to rename it you implicitly admit your failure at that - so that the only way for you to not think about something as "superior" is not to use name that means "superior". I don't think it's an effective strategy in persuading somebody it's not actually superior. Most reasonable people would still see the difference between name and actual qualities.

dwaltrip 10y ago
Being an informed adult also means recognizing the inherent limitations of the human brain that allow for the framing, presentation, context, and social group perception of a thing (as seen in branding, marketing, opinion essays, and many other places) to considerably affect how we think and feel about different aspects of the world. Some might even call this a feature -- such cognitive shortcuts and heuristics allow us to assess threats in our environment, enjoy the warmth and aesthetics of a newly purchased jacket, or complete a shopping trip to the grocery store in a reasonable amount of time. Through large efforts of will we can begin to become aware of this in ourselves, and then attempt to mitigate the negatives to a small degree. However, we can't do much beyond that.

08-15 10y ago

To a German, "Uber" means "I cannot spell." (SCNR.)