Ask HN: What are the worst names given to employees of specific companies?
67 comments
When I was at Aph around 1978, we all trooped off to some electronics convention. Since my job there was assembling prototype boards, when I was getting the badge at the ticket booth, and I was asked my job title, I said "Gnome".
The guy creating the badge was horrified. He asked me several times if I really wanted this, and I confirmed. The Aph people behind me then gave their job titles as "Wizard", "Nerd", and some other fantasy terms.
Attendees would read our badges and exclaim they should have done the same thing.
Thereafter, this became commonplace.
I don't know if I started this trend, but it seems like I was the first. I wish I'd kept the badge, but who knew?
The guy creating the badge was horrified. He asked me several times if I really wanted this, and I confirmed. The Aph people behind me then gave their job titles as "Wizard", "Nerd", and some other fantasy terms.
Attendees would read our badges and exclaim they should have done the same thing.
Thereafter, this became commonplace.
I don't know if I started this trend, but it seems like I was the first. I wish I'd kept the badge, but who knew?
As if the name of the company "Wedge Computer, Inc" wasn't bad enough: "Wedgies".
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28803672
https://groups.google.com/g/comp.windows.news/c/VpdsNfxERQQ/...
https://books.google.nl/books?id=Cj8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA31&lpg=PA...
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28803672
https://groups.google.com/g/comp.windows.news/c/VpdsNfxERQQ/...
https://books.google.nl/books?id=Cj8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA31&lpg=PA...
There has to be some weighing for if/how they are actually used in the wild. For example, metamates is objectively horrible, but I'm not sure anyone actually uses it. Xoogler, noogler objectively are neutral, but end up sounding super douchy because of how often they get thrown around by actual google people
Also, domosapien https://www.domo.com/company
Also, domosapien https://www.domo.com/company
>domosapien
LOL. The only one of these I’ve actually liked
LOL. The only one of these I’ve actually liked
In a theoretical world where "domosapien" was related to a company named after "Mr. Roboto" -- say, a company called Kilroy -- I cold really dig being called that.
Great point and examples!
Army - Soldiers (nailed it)
Navy - Sailors (nailed it)
Marines - Marines (nailed it)
Air Force - Airmen (eh, okay?)
Coast Guard - Coasties (I mean, sure. Welcome, our DoT brethren)
Space Force - Guardians, complete with Star Trek outfits and staring upward into the distance. /sigh
Navy - Sailors (nailed it)
Marines - Marines (nailed it)
Air Force - Airmen (eh, okay?)
Coast Guard - Coasties (I mean, sure. Welcome, our DoT brethren)
Space Force - Guardians, complete with Star Trek outfits and staring upward into the distance. /sigh
While we’re talking about government versions. The NASA astronaut recruits have arguably one of the worst. Their official title is “Astronaut Candidate” but as nothing so long can go un-abbreviated at NASA, they are simply referred to as (even in many official documents) as ASCANs, pronounced “Ass Can”.
> Coast Guard - Coasties (I mean, sure. Welcome, our DoT brethren)
During peacetime, the US Coast Guard is now part of the Department of Homeland Security. (It was part of the Department of Transportation fro 1967 - 2003.)
During peacetime, the US Coast Guard is now part of the Department of Homeland Security. (It was part of the Department of Transportation fro 1967 - 2003.)
Space Cadets would've been the polite goto in Australia .. given collectively the US forces are often referred to as seppos.
Funny story about New Relic: The name is an anagram of the CEO's, "Lew Cirne". Not sure if that's widely known, but he just used it as a placeholder while working as an entrepreneur in residence at a VC fund for his next project, and it stuck.
FWIW I think New Relic is an awesome name. It has rhythm and slight hint of controversy to it.
I'll be honest, I have no idea what a "hint of controversy" is supposed to mean in this context.
Probably the juxtaposition of terms New and "Relic" when relics are supposed to be ancient objects.
“New Relic” describes most code committed in the last week!
Sorry, cannot edit original comment. As an ESL I fell into a classic “false friends” trap. I meant “paradox”, not a “controversy” (that in English usually means something akin to “bad rep”).
Hint of paradox?
Facebook = "Metamates" = Peak cringe
Please tell me they used to be called "bookies" before that.
It was "facebookers" in spoken talk, "fbers" written. Former employees are generally referred to as "ex-fb". Many private discussion groups with that in the name.
Or faces
Should've just called them Mates
Missed opportunity to call themselves "metahumans" and get the DC Comics lawyers after 'em.
If you're in a building at Amazon, sure, Amazonians. If you're out on the street in Seattle with regular people, it's often Amholes.
Adobe employee. I keep trying to get "Adobos" or at least "Adobians" to catch on, but it hasn't yet.
Try “Acrobats”
please stop trying
Ok I really like this question which got me digging and someone made a pretty comprehensive and somewhat verified list:
https://mikepope.com/blog/AddComment.aspx?blogid=2354
Personally I would say Microsofties is the worst.
Personally I would say Microsofties is the worst.
I've heard Redmondians a lot.
Research in Motion : rimmers
SAP: saps
Snowflake: Snowflakes
Workday: Workers
Microsoft: Softies
Intel: Intelligentsia
Adobe: Dobes
Broadcom: Broads
IBM : Bummers
PayPal: Charge Friends
Uber: Uberalles
Atlassian: Shruggers
Marvell Technology: Kree
Dell: Dellions
SAP: saps
Snowflake: Snowflakes
Workday: Workers
Microsoft: Softies
Intel: Intelligentsia
Adobe: Dobes
Broadcom: Broads
IBM : Bummers
PayPal: Charge Friends
Uber: Uberalles
Atlassian: Shruggers
Marvell Technology: Kree
Dell: Dellions
Rimmer might be our winner
Hey, are you some kind of a holophobe??! ;)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Rimmer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Rimmer
I’ve tried “Dellberts” internally once and it wasn’t well received.
Dell: Delldos
Uber: Ubermensch
Did you just make these up? Good job quick thinking!
> Atlassian: Shruggers
Ayn Rand?
> Marvell Technology: Kree
Stargate?
> Atlassian: Shruggers
Ayn Rand?
> Marvell Technology: Kree
Stargate?
> Marvell Technology: Kree
More likely a reference to the recent Captain Marvel movie.
More likely a reference to the recent Captain Marvel movie.
I prefer my sci-fi aged and esoteric, like a fine wine. (Haven't watched most of the Marvel movies after it became sequel after sequel six months apart.)
"Jaffa! Kree!" is timeless (though with no connections to MRVL).
"Jaffa! Kree!" is timeless (though with no connections to MRVL).
My current company, Anark, we would be "Anark-ists", but we don't actually refer to ourselves that way.
Personally I can't stand that type of name, and think the whole idea is silly and cringy.
Personally I can't stand that type of name, and think the whole idea is silly and cringy.
Just call them dorks.
- also called something dorky at my job lmao
I like it tho even if it’s a bit cringe. At least we all on the same mission while we working together.
- also called something dorky at my job lmao
I like it tho even if it’s a bit cringe. At least we all on the same mission while we working together.
Not necessarily bad name, but the company where I'm currently in is itself called "CAW", short for "Chimps At Work".
The founder is ex-Microsoft and apparently, Chimp was a title given to Microsoft employees working on new projects.
The founder is ex-Microsoft and apparently, Chimp was a title given to Microsoft employees working on new projects.
They're all terrible. You're a human being with dignity and a name, not a farm animal. Any employer who tries to name you as the latter should be politely asked to stop.
I think they're a lot more natural than you make it sound. I mean we have denonyms from placenames. Some of them are fairly rote (newyorker, londoner, dubliner), some take some imagination (okie, mackem, geordie).
I really don't see why this is any different?
I really don't see why this is any different?
Reddit is snoos. I don't think it's that bad though.
Pinployees at Pinterest
Twilions at Twilio
Coinbaes at Coinbase
The pivoting pivots of Pivotal Software. gong noise
Stripe: strippers?
No, the formal name used is "Stripes".
Rolls out of the tongue very well.
Bending Spoons -> Spooners
Tweeps.
Innies, in Severance? :)
Scoot Pte Ltd: Scooties.
Microsoft - microbes
Atlas, Atlassians?
Atos. Astros. Heh.
Citrix: Citrites
It’s so cringey
Xero - Xeroes
Metamates.
Microsofties.
Microsofties.
What are the worst names given to employees of specific companies?