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330 points todsacerdoti | 1 comments | | HN request time: 0.206s | source
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jameshart ◴[] No.46235444[source]
> naming things after random nouns, mythological creatures, or random favorite fictional characters is somehow acceptable professional practice. This would be career suicide in virtually any other technical field.

Really? Have you specced a microprocessor lately? Seen what pharmaceuticals are called? How polymer compound materials get named?

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lr0 ◴[] No.46235523[source]
The "Raptor Lake" codename in microprocessors is internal, the product ships with systematic designation. Engineers spec chips by model numbers that encode generation, tier, and performance class.

In Pharmaceuticals, Doctors prescribe "sildenafil," not "Viagra." The generic name describes chemical structure. Brand names are marketing for consumers, not professional nomenclature.

Mythology in chemistry/astronomy has centuries of legacy and connects to human cultural history. Calling an element "Titanium" after Titans carries weight. Calling a SQL replicator "Marmot" connects to... what, exactly? A weekend at the zoo?

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1. bgbntty2 ◴[] No.46235909[source]
> Doctors prescribe "sildenafil," not "Viagra".

Depends on the location, I guess. I've had doctors prescribe trade names, which I don't understand if there are alternatives with the same dosage, route of administration and similar inactive ingredients. Not even talking about the "do not substitute" prescriptions which are also based on dubious information most of the time.

As for "sildenafil" - I don't think generic names are usually meaningful. Usually the suffix relates to the category of the drug, but the first letters seem as random as the letters in trade names. I could imagine a world where the generic name is viagrafil and the trade name is Silden.