[adambatkin]

IAM "Should have been called Users, Keys and Certs"

That's funny. Because we have hundreds of developers using AWS every day, using IAM all the time, and never using a single IAM User.

IAM is actually named extremely well. identity and Access Management. I can't think of a better name. And if your problem is that you just don't like acronyms, you probably picked the wrong industry.

[pfarrell]

I just realized. Is it a play on the phrase “I am”? If that’s obvious, it just clicked with me after using AWS for ten years.

[georgyo]

Identity and Access Management existed as a term long before AWS. They called the feature the same name as what people called what that feature does.

[jlg23]

> And if your problem is that you just don't like acronyms, you probably picked the wrong industry.

Once upon a time, I worked for a company that bought a lot of IBM's 8656-1RY, which was later renamed to "x-series $whatever", according to some obscure scheme made up by marketing. Fortunately, the Japanese site was not yet updated, so I could get firmware updates through them. Some weeks later, an IBM representative showed up, he did not even try to sell us anything after complimenting us on finishing some setup work for 10% of the effort he would have billed us. "Any questions?" "Yes, what's with the naming scheme?" He smiled, pulled out a mouse-pad "the evolution of the x-series". "Yes, marketing-BS, but that's the only documentation on the renaming we've got".

Summa summarum: Criticizing some intrinsics does not automatically put you in "the wrong industry", maybe you just have seen enough to call BS BS when you see it.

[stingraycharles]

Agreed. “Users, Keys and Certs” neglects the whole roles / permissions aspects of IAM, which in my experience is by far the larger part of IAM.

The users & keys part is actually just a tiny part of it.

[dylan604]

It just shows that someone is writing something from their personal perspective and thinks the rest of the world should conform to their view points. Also, it really sounds like a recent cloud "convert" trying to make hay as a thought leader (which is a phrase that makes me want to hurl), all the while revealing their ignorance as not fully understand the topic at hand. In other words, typical blogosphere crap (even though this isn't really a blog, just a syndrome).

[eplanit]

IAM has been in use, without any confusion that I've encountered amongst various clients, for well over 10 years. How is it confusing? It sounds like people are wanting dumbed-down "Romper Room" names. Meaningful acronyms serve as mnemonics as to what the thing is. Noobs should learn and embrace.

[dylan604]

>And if your problem is that you just don't like acronyms, you probably picked the wrong industry.

Maybe they should try the military? I hear they only use acronyms occasionally!

[fomine3]

Agreed, IAM is exceptionally great name.