On 02/06/12 17:36, pike wrote:
... We arent voting,
but if we were, Phonix would be my #1
(phone,unix,phoenix), and Phonux #2
(phone,linux,phoenix).
Actually I agree, OpenPhonix is good, better than OpenPhonux.
It's nearer to "phoenix" in English AND German (where it can be spelled
with an o-umlaut instead of oe?) and broadening from linux to *nix in
general can only be good. NetBSD anyone? And in the future, maybe those
new microkernels like L4 and Minix3? But we do know it will be a *nix
of some kind.
Also, if I say Phonux and Phonix, I find myself not pronouncing the
second vowel very clearly. Because it's not stressed it comes out more
as an "uh" sound than a clear vowel, and I think someone half-hearing me
would be more likely to guess "ix" than "ux". So I think the
pronunciation suggests the spelling better with OpenPhonix, and it's
easy to remember the correct spelling after only a quick glimpse of the
word (not true of OpenPhoenux, I think ... :) ).
And, the other way round, I think native speakers of a lot of different
languages would end up reading OpenPhonix aloud in the same way. The
fact that we English-speakers have just found out that we've been
mispronouncing "OpenPhoenux" all this time means (I think) that there is
room for improvement here.
And, to a stranger to the project, it presents the most important
information first: it's an OpenPhone, using Unix. Once they learn more,
the fact that it sounds like "phoenix" said in German (most
appropriate!) will emerge like a sort of good aftertaste.
So, we aren't voting, but if we were, I would be switching my vote to
OpenPhonix.
On 11/06/12 22:58, pike wrote:
> Hi
>
...
>
> I feel sort of idiot trying to emphasize how important
> I think this is. But I do. Here I go again.
>
> It's the first impression. All the connotations that
> bubble up with the name, define, in a split second,
> just how much attention people are going to give it.
> And all those split seconds together could
> make the difference between a thriving userbase
> or a bunch of hardcore hobbyists.
>
> Both are great goals ofcourse. But if you want to
> "change the world fundamentally", take the branding
> seriously all the way. Learning from Apple ?
>
> $2c,
> *-pike
>
I agree with all of this. Words are important, and naming is important.
Worth a bit of discussion, anyway.
Nick Sheppard
PS: Google gives only two hits for "openphonix". One is a misspelling
for "openphonyx", which is in use, and the other seems to be a Twitter id.
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