[DotGNU]A plea for simplicity....

[John]

Why not name it Atlas? Because I'd look at the name and say "Oh, ghu, 
another geophysical mapping data program" and be completely disappointed 
when I read the description, or worse downloaded it and installed it? 
That's assumning I came from a Western background where the name 
actually meant something, ie I knew who Atlas was and that he was 
responsible for holding the sky on his shoulders. There also the more 
modern connection to the Ayn Rand title, which might set some more 
provincial people back on their arses. I wouldn't be complaining about 
this so loudly except that I spent an hour on the Freshmeat trying to 
locate an application with a non-obvious name and a difficult to 
describe functionality. That search alone makes me ask rhetorically, 
"Can we please simplify this mess?"

This simplification is why Microsoft has such uncreative names for their 
products. They don't invent names for the most part. They  want names 
that are instantly descriptive of what the programs do and though there 
are notable exceptions; Microsoft does, by and large, stick to a common 
word naming convention. Their mistake has been that they try to 
/trademark/ the name, and such trademarks are rather weak, precisely 
because of the common description aspect.

Perhaps DotGNU is in a different situation? We don't need to worry about 
a brand identity, because we're not likely to trademark our products, 
and thus I'd argue that the word most descriptive of the function works 
best? "DotGNU Balance" would be ideal. Instant communication of purpose 
without the need for knowledge of Western cultural motifs.

Truthfully though, I don't care. I'm just ranting. Call it "Post Hole 
Digger" for all it means to us. (Isuzu commercial reference)

John Le'Brecage

James Mc Parlane wrote:

> > Stargazer is an okay name, though I'm certain there are a few 
> > pieces of 
> > astronomy software by that name. If you're going to go for 
> > the obscure 
> > diety name approach suggested by Gopal:  might I suggest Ma'at - the 
> > Egyptian weigher of souls, whose crest was the balance 
> > weighing a heart 
> > in one arm and a feather in the other? Why not Greek? Well, the Greek 
> > demi-diety of the balance, as I recall, is commonly called 
> > "Justice" and 
> > that's not a particularly interesting name, now'sit?
> >    
>
> How about Atlas? :)
>
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