[haiku] Re: Updated website pages online for peer review
- From: "Nigel Malthus" <malthi@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: haiku@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:36:56 +1200 NZST
>Humdinger wrote:
>
> Nigel Malthus wrote:
> > I'd like to see an entry in the FAQ explaining briefly why the name
> > was chosen.
> >
> > Something like:
> >
> > Haiku, obviously, is named after the classical three-line Japanese
> > poetry form. Haiku
> > poetry is known for its quiet power, elegance and simplicity -
> > among the core qualities
> > of BeOS which we aim to recreate in Haiku. BeOS included some haiku
> > in its user
> > interface, in the form of network error messages displayed by its
> > web browser. An
> > example:
>
> This is a bit of an interpretation after the fact, innit? Like
> throwing darts at a wall
> and then painting targets around those that stuck. :)
>
> The fact is, "Haiku" wasn't simply chosen because of what it might
> imply. The name "Haiku"
> wasn't presented as the embodiment of our OS virtues. It came up
> first, equal among other
> suggestions, on a poll that was held. Contesting names were: Auros,
> Begin, Dysis, Firebox,
> Firefly, Forge, Haiku, Indigo, Infinity, Jaffa, Mantis, Menlo, Nemo,
> Nova, Terra (see
> http://www.begroovy.com/wordpress/?p=343)
>
> The reasons why Haiku was chosen by the (vast IIRC) majority, are
> probably very varied. It
> may just be that all other names totally sucked. :)
> Of course, I'm extremely happy with "Haiku" and what its name
> implies. No need for
> embellishing how it came about, however. :)
> At least, point out that it's the result of a poll after having to
> change the name to
> avoid possible legal issues with the BeOS name owners. Then go on and
> explain why this
> name turned out to be so fitting. (Looking at the list above, could
> you imagine if "Jaffa"
> won? :))
Post-hoc reasoning on my part? Yes, guilty as charged! :-)
Doesn't mean my conclusion is wrong, though. Looking back, wasn't it an
inspired choice? Let's call it the wisdom of crowds.
After all, haikus are everywhere once you start looking (even in the
begroovy link you posted). They ARE the culture. :-)
> All in all, I'm not sure that the name of the project really is a
> "FAQ".
Well I guess I was thinking of brand new users, intrigued by that
culture. "What's with the poetry?" may well become a real frequently
asked question, and something therefore that ought to be explained
somewhere. :-)
> Regards,
> Humdinger
Cheers.
--
Nigel Malthus,
Christchurch, NZ.
"The only real way to look younger is not to be born so soon."
-- Charles Schulz, "Things I've Had to Learn Over and
Over and Over"
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