On Mon, 12 Oct 1998, Gabriel Goldberg wrote:

> I'm always amazed when I make the point about LISTSERV being a
> trademarked product name, not a generic term for anything, and people
> argue about that not being true, or it not mattering, or my being a
> nit-picker. ("Don't nit-pick" was response on a writers' list, where I
> expected more respect for accuracy and intellectual property rights.)

When I correct people by pointing out that LISTSERV is a trademark, they
typically respond by rolling their eyes and saying "Who the hell cares"
(or words to that effect).

It is much more effective to explain that LISTSERV is a specific piece of
software used to run mailing lists, and that calling a list a "listserv"
is confusing the software with what the software does.

Occasionally I hear people refer to the web, or the Internet in general,
as "Netscape."  When I hear this, I know I'm talking to someone whose
understanding of the Internet is very limited.  I have the same reaction
when I hear "listserv" used generically.  The term betrays a superficial
understanding of how mailing lists function.

As for people on a writers' list saying "don't nit-pick," I suspect it's
because people don't like to be corrected.

steve

========================================
H. Stephen Wright
Northern Illinois University
[log in to unmask]
http://libws66.lib.niu.edu/hswright.html
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