Amazon Lex – Conversational interfaces for your applications

Re:Amazon Lex – Conversational interfaces for your applications by pedalpete on Monday December 05, 2016 @05:15PM (#13110238)

I see how they went from Alexa to Lex, but does anybody else think the only time they've ever heard of Lex is Lex Luther? Is it a great idea to name a product aimed at developers which is boardering in the AI space after Superman's nemesis?

I'm not going to forget it as a name. Thoughts?

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Re:Amazon Lex – Conversational interfaces for your applications by nickmorri on Monday December 05, 2016 @05:33PM (#13110425)

I'm thinking it's a play on A(lex)a andlexical analysis[1]. That may be where Alexa got her name.

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

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Re:Amazon Lex – Conversational interfaces for your applications by OJFord on Monday December 05, 2016 @06:42PM (#13110953)

I assumed it was specifically from 'a lexer', an homonym.

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Re:Amazon Lex – Conversational interfaces for your applications by al2o3cr on Monday December 05, 2016 @06:38PM (#13110938)

"does anybody else think the only time they've ever heard of Lex is Lex Luther"

TBH, Lex Luthor is probably a better association than the spaceship Lexx. At least he doesn't make every household item into a not-even-disguised dick joke. :)

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Re:Amazon Lex – Conversational interfaces for your applications by wiredfool on Monday December 05, 2016 @05:51PM (#13110573)

I'm waiting for Amazon Yak, for all your shaving needs. Or maybe yacc. For your syntax tree parsing needs.

Seriously though, Lex is an old school tokenizer for parsing problems.

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Re:Amazon Lex – Conversational interfaces for your applications by OJFord on Monday December 05, 2016 @06:40PM (#13110942)

Lex who?

My only connotation for "Lex" is 'lexical analysis' and derived terms ('to lex', 'a lexeme', 'a lexer').

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Re:Amazon Lex – Conversational interfaces for your applications by euyyn on Monday December 05, 2016 @06:55PM (#13111029)

Superman's archenemy.

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Re:Amazon Lex – Conversational interfaces for your applications by zitterbewegung on Monday December 05, 2016 @05:50PM (#13110564)

Lex Luther would be a killer name for a support library.

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