Thread

1. glimshe · 1790425002 · focus · HN ↗

   This is the first time a corporation has spoiled a word for me.

   "Copilot" is a term like any other and when I first heard the name, I thought it was an alright, if uninspired, choice.

   Now I can't hear the word "Copilot" used in any context without having negative feelings due to Microsoft's saturation campaign.

   Speaking of this, I also wonder about present and future people named "Claude", a mainstream name in some parts of the world.

   1. ternaryoperator · 1790427446 · focus · HN ↗

      This happens all the time. Mercedes is a fairly common first name for girls in Spanish countries. Then, of course Alexa, etc.

      1. nine_k · 1790441196 · focus · HN ↗

         Mercedes was a name of an actual lady, a daughter of a businessman who brought the first Daimler-Benz cars to the market.

         I wonder if there existed a real Alexa after whom the AI assistant was called.

         1. rsynnott · 1790445359 · focus · HN ↗

            Apparently not, though there seem to be two distinct stories about where it _does_ come from:

            > Amazon developers chose the name Alexa because it has a hard consonant with the X, which helps it be recognized with higher precision. They have said the name is reminiscent of the Library of Alexandria, which was also used by Amazon Alexa Internet for the same reason.

            1. gumby · 1790473272 · focus · HN ↗

               I long believed a not-insignificant factor was that they had bought the trademark to alexa when they bought the company.

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