Web 2.0 appears to be largely based on someone's executive decision to develop abominably stupid names for companies and services. Thus, we bid you welcome to the floor TokBox, a video chat service that, according to The New York Times, "wants to do for live video chats what YouTube did for video watching."
Just to be clear: What
YouTube Inc. did for video watching was eliminate standards and give a forum to talking cats. Yes?
TokBox, a six-month-old (aww) startup still in beta testing, hopes to make video communication easier by eliminating software downloads and bringing it to the browser. Video communication is the wave of the future, yippie kay yay, and all that jazz...
Here's a pro-con rundown:
What doesn't suck about TokBox?
It's backed by YouTube cofounder, Jawed Karim.
It's a browser-based communications tool. This doesn't automatically equate to "good," but it could be a nice alternative to Skype Ltd. and Windows Live Messenger, which have both contributed to my tech-related ulcers.
It allows you to send video mail to those who would like to see you but not enough to actually engage in face-to-face banter. "Leave a message and a pixilated moving image of your grotesquely enlarged head at the beep."
A TokBox module can be embedded on social networking sites. I guess this is a pro if you're the kind of person who goes in for that sort of thing. "Hi everyone! I just wanted to give you all my daily update on how I'm doing with the Master Cleanse diet..."
Why TokBox kinda sucks:
It's based in San Francisco. These days, this is enough of a con, but I'll forge ahead.
It's backed by the YouTube guy. Don't forget he left YouTube before it actually made any money. Smoooooooth.
What's with these names? Apparently it's a requirement for the execs at "TokBox" to have names that are as unpronounceable as they are hilarious. Serge Faguet, Roelof Botha, Rajeev Motwani... so sorry your mothers hated you.
Slogan... "TokBox: Talk to the World." The world?! I'm having enough trouble managing the conversations with the voices in my head. The world will have to wait.
Do we really need a TokBox module for social networking sites? Blah. Get your flapping trap off my MySpace.
Jeez, people, lighten up... it's just a bit of fun. I wouldn't be offended if someone in India were ROTFL right now because my name sounds like "ox fondler" in Tamil.
While I agree that the names of many new 2.0 companies appear to be just about as random as they are thought out, taking a Digg at personal names of players in the startup game is just as ridiculous as it can get.
The parents of these entrepreneurs did not hate them and thus name them. That premise is nothing but inflamatory and uninformed.
The knock at their personal names is obviously just a little punch to the shoulder. Obviously nobody's name really has any effect on anything ever. Laugh a little. However, the Web 2.0 comment was directed at the companies themselves. Some of these names are pretty silly. Ever heard of Joost, imeem, Hulu, Twitter, the list goes on.
and this statement: "Web 2.0 appears to be largely based on someone's executive decision to develop abominably stupid names for companies and services."
WHAAAT? I don't know, but maybe I'm hearing "i have to come up with a post before deadline - what can I trash?"
Not like "I" think TokBox is a great idea or anything. But it is someone's dream and hey, I don't have any money invested in the thing...
Let's try to stay away from laughing at people's names. If we want the Internet to be a truly global enabler, you have to get over the fact that you'll run into names that have funny connotations in different languages. You can bash people for their acts, but, please, not for things that are part of who they are such as their names, skin color, physical appearance, etc.
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