# Yeah, right Adobe

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yeah-right-adobe/225188>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [January 19, 2004, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yeah-right-adobe/225188 "2004-01-19T09:27:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 10\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Algorithm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/algorithm/32/12204_2.png) [@Algorithm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algorithm)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2004, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yeah-right-adobe/225188/21 "2004-01-20T04:25:23Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*\*Trademarks are proper adjectives and should be followed by the generic terms they describe. \*\*
> 
> CORRECT: The image was manipulated using Adobe® Photoshop® software.
> 
> INCORRECT: The image was manipulated using Photoshop.

Seriously, should I be correcting people when they say things like this?  
“If you load up photoshop I can show you…”  
“Excuse me, don’t you mean, ‘load up the Adobe® Photoshop® software?’ We are talking about a registered trademark here.”

“What OS do you run? I’ve got an XP box back home…”  
“Wrong, you mean you have a computer running Microsoft® Windows XP® operating system software.”

“Could you grab me a kleenex? My nose is bleeding; I’m getting blood everywhere.”  
“Not unless you say the proper trademarked name!”

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**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2004, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yeah-right-adobe/225188/22 "2004-01-20T05:00:26Z")

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I work on the computer graphics field, and I´ve never ever said “I photoshoped this…” first, because it´s an inadequate description of what I may have done (I´d rather said, “I corrected the colour balance”, “I desaturated the image”, etc) second, because I use Corel® 😛

I live on a state of constant amazement over the popularity of Adobe® Photoshop® anyway; sure, it can do pretty things, but the interface is as crapy as it can get.

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**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2004, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yeah-right-adobe/225188/23 "2004-01-20T05:21:58Z")

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> [@Colibri](#):
>
> Oddly enough (and I was surprised to find this out myself), the original name _was_ [Duck Tape](http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/ducttape.htm) (another cite [here](http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20030502.html)), because it was waterproof like a duck and was made out of cotton “duck” cloth. The name “Duct Tape” came later after it started being used to fix ducts.

Oh, now that is truly weird! I stand corrected. :smack: I’m sure I’m right about the Sellotape, however (hell, batting .500 in The Pit is acceptable - in GQ, you need to do better than that).

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**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2004, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yeah-right-adobe/225188/24 "2004-01-20T08:22:34Z")

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> [@Algorithm](#):
>
> Seriously, should I be correcting people when they say things like this?  
> “If you load up photoshop I can show you…”  
> “Excuse me, don’t you mean, ‘load up the Adobe® Photoshop® software?’ We are talking about a registered trademark here.”
> 
> “What OS do you run? I’ve got an XP box back home…”  
> “Wrong, you mean you have a computer running Microsoft® Windows XP® operating system software.”
> 
> “Could you grab me a kleenex? My nose is bleeding; I’m getting blood everywhere.”  
> “Not unless you say the proper trademarked name!”

If it’s appearing in one of your company’s official publications, then yes.

After all, that’s precisely the usage that Adobe is referring to in the page the OP linked to. They are _not_ talking about how ordinary people use it in their daily conversations.

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**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2004, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yeah-right-adobe/225188/25 "2004-01-20T08:43:05Z")

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I have never in my life heard the name “Sellotape.” Is it a British thing, or have I been living in a cave?

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**Author:** ![Algorithm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/algorithm/32/12204_2.png) [@Algorithm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algorithm)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2004, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yeah-right-adobe/225188/26 "2004-01-20T08:54:22Z")

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I apologize that my (admittedly lame) attempt at humor was misconstrued as a lack of understanding of the article in question.

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**Author:** ![paulberserker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@paulberserker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paulberserker)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2004, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yeah-right-adobe/225188/27 "2004-01-20T09:26:54Z")

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> [@Ale](#):
>
> I work on the computer graphics field, and I´ve never ever said “I photoshoped this…” first, because it´s an inadequate description of what I may have done (I´d rather said, “I corrected the colour balance”, “I desaturated the image”, etc) second, because I use Corel® 😛
> 
> I live on a state of constant amazement over the popularity of Adobe® Photoshop® anyway; sure, it can do pretty things, but the interface is as crapy as it can get.

Which is all well and good,  
**Ale,** if you’re talking to people who know what you’re on about. I do quite a lot of image manipulation at work, and if I say stuff like that, people just go “whuu?”. If I say i’ll photoshop it, they at least have an inkling, if not the full picture. And whats wrong with its interface? I think it’s alright. All the versions of CorelDraw i’ve used have sucked arse, and dont even get me started on anything microfuckingsoft®©™ do.

And I know it wasn’t you who mentioned them, before anybody starts.

I like and use the program, I just don’t think Adobe can stop people using it as a verb rather than a product name, at least in conversation. I seem to remember it may be going in the OED soon too. So there.

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**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2004, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yeah-right-adobe/225188/28 "2004-01-20T11:37:58Z")

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> [@Miller](#):
>
> I have never in my life heard the name “Sellotape.” Is it a British thing, or have I been living in a cave?

I never heard it either before I moved to Ireland. **Twisty** , in America the equivalent would be “Scotch tape”. Also a brandname that has become more or less generic.

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**Author:** ![AntaresJB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c2a13f/32.png) [@AntaresJB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AntaresJB)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yeah-right-adobe/225188/29 "2004-01-21T05:38:29Z")

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> [@paulberserker](#):
>
> Does anybody actually use anything else apart from photoshop to photoshop images? ‘hey,check this out, I microsoft painted it!’
> 
> I dont think so

I have never used Photoshop for any of my image editing. I use Jasc’s Paint Shop Pro and love it to bits. Of course, I don’t think I’ve ever used the word “photoshopped” when talking about my image manipulation. Usually it’s something like, “I screwed with it on the computer.” 🙂

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**Author:** ![PhiloVance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e19adc/32.png) [@PhiloVance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhiloVance)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yeah-right-adobe/225188/30 "2004-01-21T08:43:02Z")

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/total hyjack/

Just the other day, I said do you want a xerox of this (meaning a copy) and the person I was talking to looked at me dumbly (like: whatcha talkin bout, dude?). Of course he was a much younger person. :smack:

```
otal hyjack\
```

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