On torsdag, januari 3, 2002, at 02:56 , Stefano Mazzocchi wrote:
lots of reasoning was placed into this but since there was a commercial entity named the "dbXML Group" behind the software (commercial entity that still exists even if doesn't perform any action), when the software was donated to the ASF, we asked to change the name of the project to avoid eventual commercial collisions.
Respect!
Kimbro and Tom were *very* brave to bet on a name change, and the XIndice name might not be a great name after the 'gambling' association that later emerged (that's why I'd prefer people to write it "XIndice" instead of "Xindice", to indicate that is x-indice and not x-in-dice,
Well how du you pronounce Linux? It spells the same, no matter if your from Finland or US!
1) the 'dbXML group' as an existing (although idle) commercial entity
Respect!
2) too similar to the XML:DB name. I have already heard people naming one for the other. This assonance might seem stupid at first, but since the goal here is to convince other big players (Software AG, Oracle, IBM) to join the XML:DB effort and possibly move it to the JCP under an ASF sponsoring, it would be *MUCH* harder to convince them if there is too much of an assonance between the API and its proposed implementation.
Ok! Then why not specify the type of db. "XIndice - XML Database" as part of the name! Then you know what it is!
It could be part of the logo:
X I n d i c e <- large XML Database <- small
3) as a recent Slashdot thread showed, a name that resembles 'XML databases' seems to suggest to the wide majority of newbies a relational database which data is stored on disk as XML files!!! I was shocked to see that, but I was shocked when I heard the same from other (non XML-related) ASF members! A more neutral name allows us to avoid those preconcepts that would scare people away from it.
Well dbXML is not for newbies! What about a Relational Data Base, is that a "dating" service?
4) I believe a native XML database will be much more useful in the document-centric XML world than it the data-centric one. 'dbXML' seems to suggest the opposite and will very likely create violent friction with the relational-based type of people that might judge the concept from their perception of the name, rather than from the actual contents.
I think your wrong here! We are just in the beginning of the XML era. It is a little to early to make this kind of jugement. We might see that XML DataBases could replace RDBs. Time will tell!
Is "index" a better word than "DataBase"? It make me think of a fulltext search engine.
5) XIndice is composed of an italian word, resonating with latin. Isn't hard to find people that understand a little latin between those that work in the document-centric XML communities.
I had no idear that "Indice" was an italian word, and that it mend "index", and I don't do Latin!
So I might be in minority. But the XML people is very well educated so they properly understands a little Italian and Latin.
I have been involved in creating brands as an former advertising man. You have to understand the values of a "brand". I live in Sweden, and here it has been a religion for many large companies to change names every 2 year. What they are doing is throwing away all money and trust invested in the "old" name! To start over again!! I can see the board of directors - now why don't we change the name of our company to something new today? Any suggestions? .... Done!
Your are a bunch of very good developers, and makes great products! But that do not makes you good sales persons - does it?
Regards,
Niels Peter
