Awolfvax.53
net.news
utzoo!decvax!duke!unc!wolfvax!jcz
Mon Nov 2 21:47:32 1981
Net names
In Real Life: Carl Zeigler
Location: NCSU, Raleigh
I agree that the net should have a 'professional'
name, But what constitutes 'professional?' Personally,
I think that 'The Source' is hilarious, but it does catch
the attention of the consumer. The net represents a wide
spectrum of interest (everything from the latest kill-the-
millions-hardware to the lastest sci-fi movies.) The fact
that the net has such a broad range precludes names that
indicate content. Also, names which refer to some particular
OS (albeit the best so far) do not actually represent the net,
and are sure not to once worldnet is realized. The participants
of the net include major (and not so major) universities,
corporations, think tanks, research centers, and the like.
All these people do seem to have one thing in common -
the willingness to discuss any idea, whether it is related to
war, peace, politics, science, technology, philosophy (ethics!),
science fiction, literature, etc. While there is a lot of
flame, the discussion usually consists of well thought out replys
to meaningful questions. (Should the Postal Service be allowed to
control electronic mail? Will we survive Soviet aggression?)
I propose, then, that the name which most accurately
represents the net would indicate the net's character. My
submission (more serious than my last) is Thinknet. (Thynet?)
Alternatively, much of the discussion can be seen examples
of man's need for *meaningful* conversation. (Is the conversation
on the net meaningful?) Such names as Idnet (intelligent discusion),
Symnet (sympathetic thinking (symbiotic?)), Quanet (question and
answer), and Lisnet (lotsa interesting speculation) could be
considered.
Consider Delphi. The Delphi method seems to be very similar
to the character of the net. Would Delphi.net or Delphi be
acceptable? (Question for Sflovers: What John Brunner novel made
use of the delphi concept?) Are there any other concepts from
history or the ancients that express the character of the net?
Another possibility is a name that does not neccesarily mean
anything, but which does have a nice ring to it. Such names as:
Dynet (dynamic?), amnet, telid, wiznet, hypernet, scinet, technet,
or sysnet. (I'm having trouble thinking of names that don't have
'net' in them.)
Anyway, I hope that whatever name is suitable is chosen quickly.
--jcz
ps.
I am told that a lot of the traffic on the net is not
discussion, but real honest-to-goodnes work. (Code, applications
ideas, and such.) I don't think that changes my observations
above at all.
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