Company Terminology

Table of contents

• Branding
  • Product names
    
  • Internal vs. external names
    
• Other terminology
  • Failure isn’t always bad
    
  • Words to avoid
    

Guidelines about company-specific terminology.

Branding

Product names

Don’t shorten Aperture Science’s product names in public-facing documentation.

• No: You must activate the button to proceed.

• Yes: You must activate the 1500 Megawatt Aperture Science Heavy Duty Super-Colliding Super Button to proceed.

Internal vs. external names

Unless you’re referring to a specific function or piece of code that includes an internal codename, always use external names in public-facing documentation.

• Instead of HostileBot, say Aperture Science Sentry Turret.

• Instead of LoveSquare, say Aperture Science Weighted Companion Cube.

Other terminology

Failure isn’t always bad

Science relies on failure as much as it relies on success. Rather than berating a test subject for falling into a pit of toxic sludge, thank them for expanding the number of data points available about the effects of prolonged sludge exposure.

Words to avoid

• Don’t refer to test subjects as guinea pigs or lab rats. Instead, reassure all test subjects that they are active participants in the scientific process and possess far greater cognitive faculties than most rodents ever could.
• Don’t use words like experiment or clinical trial; instead, say test or Aperture Science Highly-Regulated Data Collection Session.