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Do companies ever release linguistic guidelines? Do you have "a facebook?" A facebook page? A facebook account? A facebook profile? People don't "friend my

by seiji 13y ago

Do companies ever release linguistic guidelines? Do you have "a facebook?" A facebook page? A facebook account? A facebook profile? People don't "friend my facebook" they "friend me on facebook," so is it "a me on facebook?" Twitter? Twitter page? Twitter account? Twitter profile? "Check out my twitter," but do people say "I have a twitter?" GitHub? Do people say "I have a github?" Check out my github? Check out my github account? Follow me on github? Follow my github account? Didn't all this start with myspace? Is it a my myspace or a myspace? Do you have a myspace or a myspace page or a my myspace page? Is every sentence in this post a question? Isn't it exhausting?

smosher 13y ago
> Do companies ever release linguistic guidelines? Yes, sometimes, and people ignore them. So: rarely. And they shouldn't. New language isn't prescribed with any effectiveness. And what you were taught in school is based on analysis (a bad one at that.)
- ijk 13y ago
  Mostly, they do it for branding and legal reasons. Particularly for trademarks, which can be lost if they become too generic. So they spend a lot of money to spread the word that it's Kleenex brand tissue and a Google search, just in case it will help.
whaleye 13y ago
Lego tries to get people to call it's toys "Lego bricks" rather than "Legos" but I think this has not really been successful.
- Turing_Machine 13y ago
  People who are legitimate Lego experts know better than to call them "Legos". These guys are being touted as Tech Gods who Have Something Important To Say To Their Generation. While it may be a little bothersome to hear a random person call them "Legos", it's not the same as hearing a self-proclaimed expert call them that.
  - philwelch 13y ago
    There are legitimate Lego experts? Also, I don't think I've met a single human being in person who doesn't call them Legos.
    - amirmc 13y ago
      I'm British and until American TV I'd never heard anyone call them 'Legos'
- greglindahl 13y ago
  Lego does that on the advice of their trademark lawyers, because nouns can't be trademarked.
- drakeandrews 13y ago
  Outside the Americas, you'll get a whole load of funny looks when you call them legos. It's like pointing out a field of sheeps.
jere 13y ago
It annoys me to no end when people say they have "a Facebook," but I often wonder if I'm the one that isn't with the times...
- Turing_Machine 13y ago
  Nope, you aren't. Saying "a Facebook" is just stupid. I mean, if these guys have their own Facebooks you have to wonder why they need grant money, right? They also repeat the "computer is isolating" nonsense. A friend got to see his daughter take her first steps while he was in Afghanistan. Yep, really "isolating".
  - aswanson 13y ago
    I understand where you're coming from, but saying "a facebook" is not stupid, it's just efficient communication. Does saying "a facebook profile" convey any more bits of information to the average message recipient? IMO, to the average person, that would sound as stupid as "can I borrow a pencil with graphite from you?" It's unnecessarily descriptive.
    - Turing_Machine 13y ago
      "Pencil with graphite" is redundant. "Facebook" and "Facebook account" are two entirely different things. You don't say "I have a Bank of America" do you? If efficiency is that important, say "I'm on Facebook" or "I'm not on Facebook". One fewer syllable than "I have a Facebook".
      - breakupapp 13y ago
        I have a Facebook (account).
    - mynameishere 13y ago
      It's a testament to their lack of product diversity. No one would say "My Microsoft" or "My Google" or "My Valve" or "My Betty Crocker" because those companies have many credible products. "My Facebook" means "My Facebook account" because the whole company is nothing but a message board. For serious products, this isn't the case. You might say "My Ford", and everyone would know you're talking about a car, but a car is considerably more significant than a username/password to a message board.
B-Con 13y ago
> Do companies ever release linguistic guidelines? Adobe does with Photoshop and others.[1] [1] http://www.adobe.com/legal/permissions/trademarks.html#photoshoptrademark http://www.adobe.com/legal/permissions/trademarks.html#photo...
Tmmrn 13y ago
Don't you love when games get "released on PC"?

by seiji 13y ago

smosher 13y ago

> Do companies ever release linguistic guidelines? Yes, sometimes, and people ignore them. So: rarely. And they shouldn't. New language isn't prescribed with any effectiveness. And what you were taught in school is based on analysis (a bad one at that.)

ijk 13y ago
Mostly, they do it for branding and legal reasons. Particularly for trademarks, which can be lost if they become too generic. So they spend a lot of money to spread the word that it's Kleenex brand tissue and a Google search, just in case it will help.

whaleye 13y ago

Lego tries to get people to call it's toys "Lego bricks" rather than "Legos" but I think this has not really been successful.

Turing_Machine 13y ago
People who are legitimate Lego experts know better than to call them "Legos". These guys are being touted as Tech Gods who Have Something Important To Say To Their Generation. While it may be a little bothersome to hear a random person call them "Legos", it's not the same as hearing a self-proclaimed expert call them that.
- philwelch 13y ago
  There are legitimate Lego experts? Also, I don't think I've met a single human being in person who doesn't call them Legos.
  - amirmc 13y ago
    I'm British and until American TV I'd never heard anyone call them 'Legos'
greglindahl 13y ago
Lego does that on the advice of their trademark lawyers, because nouns can't be trademarked.
drakeandrews 13y ago
Outside the Americas, you'll get a whole load of funny looks when you call them legos. It's like pointing out a field of sheeps.

jere 13y ago

It annoys me to no end when people say they have "a Facebook," but I often wonder if I'm the one that isn't with the times...

Turing_Machine 13y ago
Nope, you aren't. Saying "a Facebook" is just stupid. I mean, if these guys have their own Facebooks you have to wonder why they need grant money, right? They also repeat the "computer is isolating" nonsense. A friend got to see his daughter take her first steps while he was in Afghanistan. Yep, really "isolating".
- aswanson 13y ago
  I understand where you're coming from, but saying "a facebook" is not stupid, it's just efficient communication. Does saying "a facebook profile" convey any more bits of information to the average message recipient? IMO, to the average person, that would sound as stupid as "can I borrow a pencil with graphite from you?" It's unnecessarily descriptive.
  - Turing_Machine 13y ago
    "Pencil with graphite" is redundant. "Facebook" and "Facebook account" are two entirely different things. You don't say "I have a Bank of America" do you? If efficiency is that important, say "I'm on Facebook" or "I'm not on Facebook". One fewer syllable than "I have a Facebook".
    - breakupapp 13y ago
      I have a Facebook (account).
  - mynameishere 13y ago
    It's a testament to their lack of product diversity. No one would say "My Microsoft" or "My Google" or "My Valve" or "My Betty Crocker" because those companies have many credible products. "My Facebook" means "My Facebook account" because the whole company is nothing but a message board. For serious products, this isn't the case. You might say "My Ford", and everyone would know you're talking about a car, but a car is considerably more significant than a username/password to a message board.

B-Con 13y ago

> Do companies ever release linguistic guidelines? Adobe does with Photoshop and others.[1] [1] http://www.adobe.com/legal/permissions/trademarks.html#photoshoptrademark http://www.adobe.com/legal/permissions/trademarks.html#photo...

Tmmrn 13y ago

Don't you love when games get "released on PC"?