Re: New name: Call for opinions
On Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:05:51 +0200
Steffen Moeller <steffen_moeller@gmx.de> wrote:
> I never understood
> though why it was nut just called Special Interest Group (SIG), something that
> everyone would grasp immediately.
If we were trying to describe something that everyone grasped
immediately, then using a term that everyone grasped immediately would
be appropriate. A SIG is a special interest group, but a DIS (CDD) is
something more (see the proposal for details) which is why it needs a
special name of its own.
Out of all of the proposed names, DIS does most accurately describe
to me what this thing is. However, I do find the quirky pronunciation
DISh non-obvious (at least as a native speaker of English where the
letter "s" almost never makes a "sh" sound) and the association with
the slang meaning of "dis" inescapable.
I thought for a moment that maybe Custom Debian <something>
(solutions?) would be better. But I really think the word "custom" is
loaded, just like "distribution". From my work with the Eee PC support
community at eeeuser.com, people there understand "customized" to mean
"something that has been changed to be Eee-specific". The implication
is that it is OK to break non-Eee users because they don't exist.
There is also the perception that something that is "custom" is somehow
better than something that is not.
So I really think whatever term is used, leaving both the words
"distribution" and "custom" behind is the right way to go. Also, the
choice of the word "integrated" is a good one. It describes the
process of making changes in a way that is integral to Debian and not
just layered on, breaking compatibility for other users. And finally,
describing it as a "solution" instead of a "distribution" is great
because it shifts the focus off the product (which is just Debian
itself) and onto the process: solving problems unique to a subset of
users.
Will think on this some more. Maybe a simple rearrangement of the
letters, so we can keep the meaning of each of these words but lose the
quirky pronunciation and bad association with the slang "dis"? Thus,
IDS (Integrated Debian Solutions).
Ben
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