Steve Mann wrote: > > ... new proposed name: WGPL = WearableGPL > > One of the things that I think is important is that we be taken > seriously. I tend to dislike "cyborg" and "borg", as well as > movie-related matter since I belive we have enough trouble > being taken seriously. > > Myself, having been "laughed at" for 20 years or so, wearing strange > things, maybe I'm a little oversensitive to this, but nevertheless, > I think if and when you really do put on your wearcomp and walk > down the street, you'll be glad there is at least an element of > seriousness backing you (e.g. you can describe this as part of a > serious scientific and engineering effort). > > In that spirit, I still favor GPLWear or GPLW. > > However, I thought of an alternative name WPGL > WearableGPL. > > Both of these have a nice history and tradition in the cyberculture > of rebels like Richard Stallman, GNU, etc., and also they will be > immediately understood by the "right" audience (cool unix dudes > and linux hackers). > > Those are the people we need to make this field work. Yes there > will always be mainstream followers, but you've got to really win > the hearts and respect of fellow "hackers" to make this a real win. I see something of a conflict here We want this to be seen by the general public as a serious effort with real utility, yet we want to attract the efforts of the 'cool unix dudes and linux hackers'. These goals are at odds with each other because the general public sees anything like a wearable as 'nerdy/geeky/Trekkie/etc', and will dismiss it, moreso if it is championed by a large number of the 'counterculture' like the techno hackers. For the product itself, we should probably be looking for a name that is descriptive, a word instead of an acronym, doesn't use the trite 'borg', 'bot', or 'cyber' syllables, and has panache. I'd suggest following the desktop, laptop, palmtop progression in some fashion (headtop?), or perhaps go to 'invisible computing' - it's there, you just don't notice it. An image I had was of the wearable as a form of the cartoon angel/devil pair that appear on the shoulders of a character in a dilemma....but that also leads to the buccaneer's parrot... For the project, I'd say to avoid the GPL letters directly, since they are also branding the effort in a light that will detract as much as it helps, and we can probably find a word-like acronym that works better anyway. -- Pete Hardie | Goalie, DVSG Dart Team Scientific Atlanta | Digital Video Services Group |
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