• bravesirrbn ☑️@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    21
    ·
    edit-2
    5 months ago

    Maybe it just boils down to “Linux” simply sounding better when pronounced

    Just like e.g. most people just say “velcro” and not “hook-and-loop” as the company Velcro itself wants people to call it.

    • nUbee@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      5 months ago

      And that’s a tragedy because that convenience of pronunciation comes with the cost of losing credit for the group that started the whole thing. Because only “Linux” is used, many people think Linus Torvalds developed/invented the entire operating system.

      Hook and loop being called Velcro doesn’t hurt Velcro the same way because they still have all the credit for making it. The only problem they face is losing a trademark.

      • bluewing@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        5 months ago

        Perhaps it is a tragedy that we seem to have lost the GNU part. But in the end, the great unwashed masses get to decide what something is called.

        Personally, I blame the Brits for this, (and NOT the French this time), because of their penchant for trying to chop every multi-syllable word down into as few as possible. See: Football vs Soccer silliness.