OpenPhonix?

[Nick Sheppard]

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.