(Originally Posted on November 6th 2023)
Words have power and if a word brings a bad taste to a person’s mouth then generally that word should be avoided at every opportunity. But how does one rename a concept that has no alternate phrase or title? Do I create a new word for it that is somehow still relevant or perhaps I combine parts of the name into a horrid-looking amalgamation that still corresponds with the original name? It’s tough when discussing ideas and people immediately roll their eyes whenever ‘Cryptocurrency’ or ‘Generative A.I.’ is brought up in conversation.
The hype many new technologies generate can sour the associated words and cause a backlash if the product failed to deliver what the hype advertised. I think if there are plans to utilize ‘Generative A.I.’, ‘Web 3’, ‘Blockchain’, or ‘Cryptocurrency’ they have to be renamed or a synonym used to avoid any bad connotations that they might have.
Dictionaries and Thesauruses are handy tools for proper definition and meaning. I’ve been looking through some making note of alternate words. Don’t let the expectation beat out the reality of the use cases, if one project succeeds using one of these subjects then the negative thoughts associated thoughts may reconsider their opinion.
Helpful Tips:
– Dictionaries, Thesauruses, and other definition books will be important in finding these new terms, phrases, and words.
– Breaking down a term to its foundational word may help with finding ‘new’ related words.
– Keep track of the word meaning as it may change at anytime!