Stop using "Zoom" as a general term for video conferencing.
Stop using "Google" as a general term for searching the web.
@garritfra I once saw a YouTuber saying he wouldn't stop calling ti 'googling' even though he uses DDG. He claimed that if 'Google' became enough of a part of english language, their trademark (or whatever) over this very name could be trialled. Just like anyone can license something with 'Windows' in the brand name.
I do find this a bit far-fetched, but considering it is already present in Merriam Webster[1], why not... (couldn't find source tough)
@tobtobxx @garritfra About windows I remember the "Mac Vs PC" commercial TV. Assuming that PC was fucking Windows. Even people here used to say "That computer is slow because is a PC in my house I use mac" and I said "No, it is slow because has a fucking Windows, no because it's a PC". I could understand that from people who only used the computer for work but from a person who called himself "Computer scientist" was a bit disappointing for me.
while this is true that trademarks get overruled when there's a public use but the cultural damage would (is?) already done by teaching everyone that we make progress through corporate sponsorship and deregulation (including open source, Google will use it to create more power)
@tobtobxx @garritfra I think that the Windows thing is because the word existed way before Microsoft invented their OS. The same isn’t true for the word Google.
@garritfra I tend to say "let me duckduckgo that for you" and people stare at me astonished lol
@mgiagante @garritfra In my opinion is better to say "Let me search that for you". Now DDG seems to be a good company but Google was a good company in the past. I think is better to keep a neutral way.
@jrballesteros05 @mgiagante @garritfra I think the point is to emphasize that google is not the only search engine.
@mgiagante @garritfra I've tried saying "quack" as a verb for ddg but even people who know ddg don't always get it. "dugkduckgo" is just not easy to say. I've also said "let me Google that" and immediately texted them a link to a ddg.gg/?q=x , which dilutes the trademark, at least.
@garritfra I tell my kids to go get a facial tissue
@garritfra You know it's going to be hard when the media is literally PAID to say these things? Just an FYI for everyone.
Zoom became the de facto word only because they had an IPO. Media companies bought early Google stock. This is all.
@JackMeinoff interesting take. To clarify: do you mean that it's important to make the IPO at the right time? Because frankly they are not the only company that IPOed during the pandemic.
@garritfra They happened to IPO right when it was starting and had already made the cross-licensing deals with all the major networks. Zoom (the word) was coming no matter, it just was lifted by the pandemic.
@garritfra
Stop using iphone as a general terme for smartphone
@jlgnt This.
@garritfra: totally agree. It's hard for people though. I don't even use google to search.
@garritfra or don't and hope they'll lose their trademark
@guenther that would essentially mean that Google gets even more free marketing.
@garritfra @dsv Stop complaining. Lead by example instead.
@joacim
im complaining but I also try to get people to understand why its wrong. I dont like to sit in a corner and just complaining :)
@garritfra
@garritfra + stop using "PC" as an equivalent for "Microsoft Windows"
@kzimmermann My favorite, from days past, was "I need a new modem."
"Ok, here is one for $12."
"No, it is much bigger than that."
"Ah, you mean the desktop computer."
@souldessin unbelievable! I would have pardoned if they confused the modem with a router, but this... holy crap.
Reminds of the time someone in my first company opened a ticket to fix the coffee maker because "it has LCD screen and blinky buttons"
@kzimmermann @garritfra It's not equivalent but the hardware that runs windows
@garritfra @alex can one call twitter post toots also?
Sexual backronym for PC
@NekoSock @garritfra Google already lost that lawsuit earlier this year. I remember hearing about it. Now we need to find ways to use their name while making them irrelevant.
@garritfra No, fuck your hipster bullshit.
@garritfra
Agree. #Influencers in #Australia were recruited in January this year with super creepy #billboards and #advertising.
We believe that many influencers were recruited at this time to push #Zoom because when #COVID19 arrived here the media and #celebrities instantly were forcing "zoom" into the lexicon.
Reminds of how #Hollywood inject #smoking glorification into almost every show. The smoker, shown thrice, is almost always a sexy/confident hero.
@garritfra or do so that those companies lose their copyright protection through generalization
> Stop using "Google" as a general term for searching the web.
Some people do it on purpose to piss #Google off. #Trademark protection.
I will need to google an alternative term for zoom.
@garritfra Can I xerox this toot?
@garritfra and please never "ping" an email
@garritfra ...looking for a term to replace Skype/FaceTime
@django "Let's talk on $service". Keep it simple.
@emacsomancer @garritfra was zipper ever a trademark? i had no idea
genericizing trademarks can sometimes reduce the amount of power a company has over those trademarks, which can be a good thing i guess. probably less applicable to web-type scenarios where there's 1 Google rather than thousands of knockoff velcros
@garritfra and stop using 'Hoover' as a term for vacuuming. There are quite a few that crept into the language.
@danie10 @emacsomancer true, yes, but none of these examples raises a systemic power issue like google does
@emacsomancer @danie10 "knock-on" ? Care to elaborate? :)
@emacsomancer @danie10 OK, that's what I guessed. It doesn't really matter whether it is or not. The thing that it does actually put it as a "undodgeable" toll to go through for accessing the web
@garritfra add to thus
Facebook - social media
powerpoint for presentations
outlook - email
I have been working on this
https://codeberg.org/DigitalSkills/DigitalSkills/src/branch/main/about.md
Taking the UK digital skills framework and applying that to using free / privacy friendly software, tools etc.
@zleap this is great, thanks for sharing!
@garritfra No problem, I am getting some help from a few of the free software foundation people.
@garritfra No problem, I am getting some help from a few of the free software foundation people.@noisytoot
@garritfra Regarding the latter, I started saying I'm going to DuckDuckGo it, but it doesn't have that same ring to it!
@garritfra yes