"Furio R. Filoseta (Tlf.)" wrote: > ... > I read a post where someone was commenting he stayed away from Python > because it is named after a Snake. Well, I associate the name with a very > powerful GUN, the Colt Python, a gun I really like, so if I fell into this > line of thinking, Python is the language I should be using right now. (I am > not, but just because I like Ruby best, and I get paid to use C#). That someone would be me, and I *did* use python eventually, but my point was that I was not comfortable with the association it had (nor with the recurring references people always made in that regard). > > Please excuse me, but you have to agree with me that this is plain stupid ! > You don't, you CAN'T choose a programming language for any other reason than > its technical, syntactical, etc. characteristics. > It is only 'stupid', perhaps, if you don't care about the transcendent and/or supernatural. I do, and yes I can and do choose to like a language for more reasons than the technical ones. Now that Ruby is around, I can like not just the 'technical' features, but the associated symbolism, too. :-) And people often use languages because a project specifies it, or because it was compatible with a legacy integration, or because someone offered to pay them for it (which is why I ended up using python when I did). But that doesn't mean they always like it. Matz made Ruby to be more friendly for programmers. To focus on the programmer, not just the computer. And this focus on people in the language should carry over to the logo/mascot. The logo/mascot should be pleasant and take into account the person. And people have a sense of dignity. The rc kinglet is a nice singing bird - it is pleasant to hear, and amazing to those who have encountered its small size and powerful song. Just like Ruby. Maybe calling it a mascot is the problem. More than a mascot, we need a logo. Logos should have meaning, be scalable, look good with text, etc. The logo can serve as a unifying factor for the community and as a call for participation to those new to Ruby. It can help them place it among all the others out there. It is a good identifier and shows organization. And it make things easier when it comes to making T-shirts, napins, labels, and etc. >... > Then there is all this stuff about political nuances. Give me a break ! This > would not be politically correct, this would, but my wife would kill me. > This is typical USA. I frankly couldn't care less, and so should you. You > are programmers, when on earth did you start worrying about all this crap ? > When we realized that we are people, too. And we have a life. And often, a wife. And children. >... > Ruby IS japanese, so it is only proper the icon I click on to start depicts > a Japanese image. The Ruby-chan idea is excellent, but any other JAPANESE > icon is OK to me. In fact, I believe the Japanese are even more sensitive to naming issues than my own country (USA). So likewise, it makes sense that much effort is put into this by *someone*. Unfortunately, this is turning out to be like the story about Mama Mia's vegetable soup -- after each family member privately asked Mama Mia to not include the particular ingredient they disliked, they ended up with hot water for dinner. (That's the 'transparent' result, I guess). So it can't be based on taste. It has to be based on meaning. It doesn't need to be a 'mascot' in the American sense. It is really a logo, a symbol we are needing. A marketable one. A printable one. A recognizable one. Guy N. Hurst P.S. The rc kinglet is being modified - I have asked them (again) to put a visible ruby in the crown. -- HurstLinks Web Development http://www.hurstlinks.com/ Norfolk, VA 23510 (757)623-9688 FAX 623-0433 PHP/MySQL - Ruby/Perl - HTML/Javascript