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Exactly. Language is for all its users. I can insist that my name be rendered only in 14.5 pt Comic Sans colored with Pantone 19-3336 ("Sparkling Grape"). But p

Exactly. Language is for all its users. I can insist that my name be rendered only in 14.5 pt Comic Sans colored with Pantone 19-3336 ("Sparkling Grape"). But people get to decide for themselves how they're going to speak and write. Corporate branding guidelines constrain only their employees and people who want to curry favor with them. Everybody else can do as they please.

toss1 5y ago
Good point that everyone else can do as they please. Moreover, this can be a big problem for the corps, and it is up to the Corp to protect their trademark and prevent everyone from doing quite as much as they please. If people start using a trademark as a generic term too much, the trademark can be lost. There are legions of examples, starting with aspirin, escalator, dumpster, etc. [1]. So, they try to insist that it be used only the (TM) or as "Acme Brand widgets". It would not surprise me to see Google end with the same fate. [1] Lexology: Death of a Trademark: Genericide. https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=5027217f-1db2-4ebb-9838-8696e97c6191 https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=5027217f-1db2...
midev 5y ago
> Corporate branding guidelines constrain only their employees and people who want to curry favor with them. Everybody else can do as they please What a weird take on why you should spell a company name correctly. Correct, nobody is going to put you in jail for misspelling Digital Ocean. You can do as you please. But everyone else is going to think you don't know what you're talking about if you can't even get their name correct.
- wpietri 5y ago
  Dang. Everybody else! That's a lot of people. You must have done a great deal of work to check with them all, so clearly I have to yield. I had no idea the entire rest of humanity was so passionate about corporate branding guidelines.
  - midev 5y ago
    What a cringe reply. I'd love to introduce you to a new word: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hyperbole https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hyperbole
    - wpietri 5y ago
      Oh no! Now an internet random thinks I'm cringe. Since we're criticizing other people's language choices today, I'll mention that everyone (absolutely everyone) thinks nobody older than 14 should use that word. Seriously, bub, my problem isn't the hyperbole. It's that you're universalizing your personal preference as a way to try to dominate people. It might work on others, but you won't find an old software developer who minds being called "weird". We were all thought weird.
      - midev 5y ago
        > I'll mention that everyone (absolutely everyone) thinks nobody older than 14 should use that word. Now you get it! It's kinda awesome I got to teach you a rhetorical device and you picked up on it so quickly. > It's that you're universalizing your personal preference as a way to try to dominate people My comment was dominating to you? Damn, I'm sorry. > It might work on others, but you won't find an old software developer who minds being called "weird". We were all thought weird. What does you being socially awkward have to do with this? You still need to spell company names correctly, regardless of whatever behavioral issues you have.
- paleite 5y ago
  ”But everyone else is going to” *Citation needed

toss1 5y ago

Good point that everyone else can do as they please. Moreover, this can be a big problem for the corps, and it is up to the Corp to protect their trademark and prevent everyone from doing quite as much as they please. If people start using a trademark as a generic term too much, the trademark can be lost. There are legions of examples, starting with aspirin, escalator, dumpster, etc. [1]. So, they try to insist that it be used only the (TM) or as "Acme Brand widgets". It would not surprise me to see Google end with the same fate. [1] Lexology: Death of a Trademark: Genericide. https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=5027217f-1db2-4ebb-9838-8696e97c6191 https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=5027217f-1db2...

midev 5y ago

> Corporate branding guidelines constrain only their employees and people who want to curry favor with them. Everybody else can do as they please What a weird take on why you should spell a company name correctly. Correct, nobody is going to put you in jail for misspelling Digital Ocean. You can do as you please. But everyone else is going to think you don't know what you're talking about if you can't even get their name correct.

wpietri 5y ago
Dang. Everybody else! That's a lot of people. You must have done a great deal of work to check with them all, so clearly I have to yield. I had no idea the entire rest of humanity was so passionate about corporate branding guidelines.
- midev 5y ago
  What a cringe reply. I'd love to introduce you to a new word: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hyperbole https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hyperbole
  - wpietri 5y ago
    Oh no! Now an internet random thinks I'm cringe. Since we're criticizing other people's language choices today, I'll mention that everyone (absolutely everyone) thinks nobody older than 14 should use that word. Seriously, bub, my problem isn't the hyperbole. It's that you're universalizing your personal preference as a way to try to dominate people. It might work on others, but you won't find an old software developer who minds being called "weird". We were all thought weird.
    - midev 5y ago
      > I'll mention that everyone (absolutely everyone) thinks nobody older than 14 should use that word. Now you get it! It's kinda awesome I got to teach you a rhetorical device and you picked up on it so quickly. > It's that you're universalizing your personal preference as a way to try to dominate people My comment was dominating to you? Damn, I'm sorry. > It might work on others, but you won't find an old software developer who minds being called "weird". We were all thought weird. What does you being socially awkward have to do with this? You still need to spell company names correctly, regardless of whatever behavioral issues you have.
paleite 5y ago
”But everyone else is going to” *Citation needed