Peter SterneThe New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, CNN and Associated Press have all posted guides to using Mastodon, which in turn have been syndicated by numerous local news outlets. That matters. We're rapidly approaching a situation where the media will refer to things happening "on Mastodon" the way they referred to Twitter in, say, 2013.
calc.exe@petersterne but they're not on mastodon, they're on the fediverse...
Mr. Pataphor, Dadaist Dad@thatonecalculator @petersterne Doesn't matter, people use no-name facial tissues, and call them Kleenex. The general public want a condensed easy term of reference. They have enough problems getting their heads around the idea that Mastodon is not one online site/thing.
The small percentage will get the idea of Fediverse, if other parts become useful alternatives. If a Fedi version of TikTok becomes noteworthy, then the concept may broaden. perhaps we will be lucky.
The small percentage will get the idea of Fediverse, if other parts become useful alternatives. If a Fedi version of TikTok becomes noteworthy, then the concept may broaden. perhaps we will be lucky.
Ian K Tindale 
@JPK_elmediat @thatonecalculator @petersterne
“@thatonecalculator @petersterne “Doesn’t matter, people use no-name facial tissues, and call them Kleenex.”
What? I’ve never heard of anyone doing that. Everybody just calls it a tissue. Always.
“@thatonecalculator @petersterne “Doesn’t matter, people use no-name facial tissues, and call them Kleenex.”
What? I’ve never heard of anyone doing that. Everybody just calls it a tissue. Always.
@u0421793 @petersterne @thatonecalculator Hasn't been my experience. There is even a term for it, genericized or genericide. A generic trademark, also known as a genericized trademark or proprietary eponym, is a trademark or brand name that, because of its popularity or significance, has become the generic term for/synonymous with, a general class of products or services, usually against the intentions of the trademark's owner.
@JPK_elmediat @petersterne @thatonecalculator that’s true – examples are
Sellotape, which everybody calls any kind of adhesive tape simply because it’s the leading brand here in the UK (hilariously, the leading brand in Australia is called Durex!)
Tarmac (which isn’t always made by that company)
Velcro (more correctly it should be referred to as a hook and loop fastener, unless actually made by that company)
JetSki (which is a trademark of Kawasaki, all others are merely personal water craft)
Heroin (Bayer & Co)
Hovercraft (Saunders Roe)
Videotape (Ampex)
Chromakey (Ultimatte – whereas the BBC steadfastly refers to it as CSO – colour separation overlay)
Sellotape, which everybody calls any kind of adhesive tape simply because it’s the leading brand here in the UK (hilariously, the leading brand in Australia is called Durex!)
Tarmac (which isn’t always made by that company)
Velcro (more correctly it should be referred to as a hook and loop fastener, unless actually made by that company)
JetSki (which is a trademark of Kawasaki, all others are merely personal water craft)
Heroin (Bayer & Co)
Hovercraft (Saunders Roe)
Videotape (Ampex)
Chromakey (Ultimatte – whereas the BBC steadfastly refers to it as CSO – colour separation overlay)
@u0421793 @petersterne @thatonecalculator Depending on country or region, different trademark names become so dominant, they can be generalized in common usage.
Another variation is the flu or stomach flu. People forget that flu is short for influenza. You get sick, it is a cold or The Flu. I think that is why some don't think flu shots are necessary, because everybody gets "The Flu".
Another variation is the flu or stomach flu. People forget that flu is short for influenza. You get sick, it is a cold or The Flu. I think that is why some don't think flu shots are necessary, because everybody gets "The Flu".
@JPK_elmediat @petersterne @thatonecalculator the original manufacturers of The Flu are probably kicking themselves now over losing so many sales to those cheaper suppliers of generic flu