It's a phone ... but what is it?

Hardware Librem 5
83

Just call it the L5. People will say “Oh yeah the L5 that’s pretty cool!” You say “It’s a lot better than the Corvette I used to have by far.”

84
  • Oh yeah, the L5 that’s pretty cool!
  • That’s the Pinephone.
  • I know right, L5 is the device category.

Find the mistake.

1 Like
85

Phone models from 2 different companies. Category is Linux phones ?

86

You also can install Windows or what ever you want - these are fully free computing devices. So we are looking for a category name (also for the devices made in future and made by other companies). The reason for this is what Gardiner explained in video and Purism said in Blog (general purpose computer in your pocket). The problem is, they explain a kind of device without a general category name. So if we want to speak about it (and not special about Librem 5), we always have to use these long description terms.

87

Taking its size into consideration, Weapon of Mass Communication (WMC).

1 Like
88

Comphone.
In Germany it’ll soon become “comfy”,
in reference of “handy”.
Because we’re really good in abusing English terms :grimacing:

3 Likes
89

So are we Americans. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

4 Likes
90

I don’t know, compone looks a lot like cornpone. The letters do, at least.

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91

I also prefer L5/Librem5 but people look for a term of the category. If computerphone is long, a better shortening is “compuphone” exactly as long as “smartphone”. But I still prefer L5.

92

I could actually hear myself using that term :slight_smile: Not being spied upon, I would feel quite comfy using my comfy.

4 Likes
93

In an episode going down in history as “comfy backronym wars”, redditors will argue whether the true meaning was “computer phone” or rather “communication fidelity”. With variants, like “comunicateur incredible”.

Half amused, half annoyed, some look for alternatives and soon settle for
"convergent communicator".
Coco for short.

A few years later, a trademark lawsuit ensues as a company labels their BT earphones “coco nuts”.

4 Likes
94

Is this conversation of different viewpoints a… cocophone? :sunglasses:

95

I’m not am expert, but surely cocophony and cacophony are homophones.

2 Likes
96

I have heard people refer to their PC as a “compu” in Spanish, so compufono will probably work in the Spanish-speaking world. Personally, I still like “pcphone” which has even fewer letters, but it has 3 syllables, whereas smartphone has 2. I think a 2 syllable long neologism is more likely to catch on than a 3 syllable one.

1 Like
97

:+1:

98

That’s exactly why I opted for compone (pronuonce: kom pohn /əʊn/), but I can live with a phrase as “Wait, I use my comfy to check this out” :innocent:

99

Other directions in which this could go:

  • the company name becomes the category name (hoover, google as a verb)

  • a relatively meaningless invented word, not being a company name, catches on and becomes the category name (in other words, most of the replies in this topic are trying for a name that makes sense)

More in the spirit of those ideas, I nominate … a “weaver”.

4 Likes
100

Brilliant: “What smartphone do you use?” Answer: “Oh I just use a weaver”

101

Heh. Are you trying to butter someone up to get your order processed faster…? Let us know if it works - I can get a tree named or something… :wink:

1 Like
102

Sorry, I distrust a weaver.