[HN Gopher] YC X25, the spring 2025 batch
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       YC X25, the spring 2025 batch
        
       Author : todsacerdoti
       Score  : 25 points
       Date   : 2025-01-20 17:02 UTC (5 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.ycombinator.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.ycombinator.com)
        
       | simonsarris wrote:
       | good for them but
       | 
       | > One of the first questions people ask when we say we are doing
       | a spring batch is what letter we will use to refer to it since
       | "S" is already taken for the summer batch. We considered
       | something like "Sp" or "P" but one founder made the suggestion of
       | using "X" since it's a common variable name in programming and
       | thus makes sense since the name "Y Combinator" itself is a
       | programming term.
       | 
       | This chain of reasoning seems totally disconnected? "While trying
       | to come up with a single letter to _denote spring,_ since S was
       | taken, we decided on... a common variable name instead " ??? what
       | happened to denoting spring in there? Am I missing some clever
       | reference? Is spring in particular the season for common
       | variables?
       | 
       | The spring constant (in physics) is denoted by the letter "k",
       | why not use that? I know its not programming, but at least it
       | denotes spring.
        
         | enos_feedler wrote:
         | I would just take the opportunity to rename all batched 1,2,3,4
         | and call the batches yc25 etc to denote all batches in 2025
         | etc. who cares what season you are in at this point. But this
         | is just me.
        
         | edouard-harris wrote:
         | X also comes right after W, just as the Spring batch will come
         | right after the Winter batch.
        
         | throw-the-towel wrote:
         | Notation is ultimately arbitrary, it's just what everyone has
         | agreed on.
         | 
         | (As a fun fact, Spanish has decided to use X for Wednesday
         | because both Wednesday and Tuesday start with the same letter,
         | M: https://www.20minutos.es/cultura/blogs/yaestaellistoquetodol
         | ...)
        
           | simonsarris wrote:
           | I think you may need to review what that word means in case
           | you have an incorrect belief about its definition. Almost all
           | notation ever created has a reason or a system, I have no
           | idea why one would think its ultimately arbitrary (having no
           | reason or system).
           | 
           | Consensus is not arbitrary either, that's a strong reason, a
           | lack of arbitrary-ness. Even the second definition of
           | arbitrary, something done unilaterally, is contra-consensus.
        
         | xiphias2 wrote:
         | Z would have made more sense as a pair of the Y combinator (and
         | the next letter).
         | 
         | X is jut plain boring because there's nothing theoritical
         | behind it.
        
         | didgeoridoo wrote:
         | Also the word for "of or pertaining to spring" is "vernal",
         | so... V? Obscure and a bit antiquated, but also technically
         | correct (the best kind).
        
           | selimthegrim wrote:
           | Vernal equinox is a pretty well-known expression
        
         | haunter wrote:
         | G would have made more sense
         | 
         | In MTG the 5 colors are white, blue, black, red, and green.
         | WUBRG. B is already taken by black (bla > blu) so blue became
         | U. Hence in my head logic spring should have been G
         | (technically sp > su but no point to change summer's S after
         | decades)
        
         | vasco wrote:
         | Nobody knows what it means but it's provocative, gets the
         | people going.
        
       | edoceo wrote:
       | What about YC25q1, YC25q2, YC25q3 and YC25q4?
        
       | ilrwbwrkhv wrote:
       | This is great. There is still nothing like YC. Great news for
       | batches who get in.
        
       | neeleshs wrote:
       | B25 for Bloom would've been nicer
        
       | triyambakam wrote:
       | Can YC be attended completely remotely, or which incubators can
       | be?
        
       | tptacek wrote:
       | V25, the Vernal YC 2025 batch!
        
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