Covid.com – trusted Connectivity Supplier for 40 years. Unfortunate URL | Hacker News Reader

Covid.com – trusted Connectivity Supplier for 40 years. Unfortunate URL

covid.com

Maybe!

They could drop a bunch of high-value resources and information at that URL, and then also have a nice big button to go to the business site and play it all off pretty nicely

Was just thinking the same thing, they could rename the A/V connector site to something else, and capitalize on covid.com in a big way, such as creating a covid information aggregator?

They could do a lot of things really. All depends on whether they want to or have capacity for what really is a distraction.

Unfortunate does not have to be a part of their story though. That seems to be what a fair number of us see anyway.

I have brain rot from observing all the horrible ways people manipulate and consume the internet, so maybe it’s just me but… I think a website at covid.com with information about covid and a link to a for profit website for a business with the same name would do more harm than good.

It all depends on how they choose to do that sort of thing.

There is nothing at all wrong with the business link. They had it pre pandemic.

I would appreciate a positive take, potentially their story, how this even became a topic for discussion, and who knows?

Personally, I tend to focus on how people use the Internet in positive ways. The ones not wound up too tight are having a good time, and the more the merrier.

I think it's the same as Corona the beer brand. Nice random boost but not something to make a big deal about. Just keep the brand going and don't turn it into a joke even if some of your customers do!

Exactly. Not really unfortunate, unless they make it out to be.

Could be way worse!

> don't turn it into a joke even if some of your customers do!

I remember seeing pictures from some house party in New Jersey that got broken up during the lockdowns. It was corona-themed and the partygoers were dressed in hazmat suits and drinking cases of Corona.

Not exactly the kind of imagery you want someone to remember about your brand.

Corona is a general-purpose beer, perhaps more than any other due to its ubiquitous option of having it with or without lime. Its use in terrible events is a red herring, like when the stealth bombers started using Kubernetes and some wondered if it took away from the individual developers' efforts. (I think it probably does, but is the same with any foundational open source project.)

In the 90s there was also a famous eurodance song called The Rhythm Of The Night, by the artist name Corona. Its been stuck in my head for almost 2 years...

Well, thanks for that earworm...

Sorry... I like that one, but am glad it is not such a persistent ear worm.

One I cannot always shake is of all things, "Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats...

Dunn Dunn Dunn de da dunn dun, de da dun dun de dun dun...

And from the club 12" mix:

S... A... F... E... T... Y...

Fortunately for me, the tune is a good mood, kind of silly reminder of good times. I don't mind it sticking around for periods of time.

Maybe reading this shakes your earworm loose!

I'm old enough to remember Advanced Information Decision Systems (AIDS Inc.). It had to change its name when the HIV crisis was underway.

An executive of the company that made the Ayds appetite-suppressant candy was quoted as saying, "The product has been around for 45 years. Let the disease change its name."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayds

Right up there with the Isis Mobile Wallet...

https://techcrunch.com/2014/07/07/isis-mobile-wallet-rebrand...

Isis is an ancient Egyptian goddess. And I still think of the goddess before Daesh.

The real irony is giving the name of an Egyptian goddess to an Islamist group.

What comes to mind when I see ISIS is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISIS_(operating_system)

It is also a first name. A Dutch DJ was called 100% Isis. She later renamed herself to Isis, her first name. This all took place in 90s and 00s I don't know if she is still active. I liked the name.

Ha, all their YouTube videos get the Covid 19 warning

Fun to think about this sort of thing when people fear the AI singularity coming from our tech giants.

I feel like that's a missed marketing opportunity. They could have put up a small banner at the top that explained the name as well as links to CDC/WHO sites. Easy way to earn goodwill as a company.

There was a company named Covidien that made medical equipment, including ventilators. They were purchased in 2015, so the name is not used anymore. But imagine the jokes.

I wonder if that's been part of any of the recent crazy conspiracies.

I work for the company that bought them. Oddly, no one has made a joke along those lines, even though the name is used to refer to those parts of the company daily.

During hospital visits over the pandemic I've noticed plenty of their branded medical bits scattered throughout the gear. Pulse oximeter sensors comes to mind, but I know there's more. Maybe it's all new old stock at the hospital.

Not exactly the same but reminds me of nissan.com. One is a car company the other is a computer company named after a guy with the last name Nissan.

I seem to recall an infosec article recently on Hackernews that cited work by someone with the first name Kovid. (It may have been Kovid Mehta.) I thought oh, boy, that guy's parents are not going to live that one down...

Remember Target and Walmart used ISIS for their payment competitor to ApplePay? Ha.

Corona beer also. Who wants to down some Corona after all this?

Only if I can do so while flying Delta Airlines

Not any less than before really.

I think people can make the context switch. Was visiting a buddy of mine a few weeks ago and picked some up. Didn't think twice or even joke about it.

The vast majority of people aren't that dense, and in fact, a lot of people actually have a reasonable sense of humor.

There is another beer brand called "Astra". I remember some groaners along the lines of "Fighting Corona with Astra"...

Opel/Vauxhall have a car model called Astra

https://9gag.com/gag/amPv9e9

> At Covid, customer service is a top priority. We urge you to contact us for any of your A/V concerns.

> [1]

AV concerns, legend.

[1] https://www.covid.com/en/contact-us

lucrative property, I would have pivoted that site every 3 months over the last 2 years

Knowing me, I would probably serve different websites based on what the databrokers said about you lol, gotta move those Q-branded coffee mugs somehow! I would probably have the same factory in Shenzhen selling masks, blood oxygen meters, and conspiracy merchandise. the ad space would distinguish on their own.

yeah, don’t do that.

We can choose to not be shitty.

Its like hmmm argue in facebook comments or notice what gets high engagement and cater to all

kinda … meta

Oh I get it now

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