Helix Code Changes Name To Ximian 160
Ambrosius27 was one of a number of people who has sent the word that Helix Gnome is nada mas. It's now....Ximian - they've even got a name-change FAQ and everything.
Life is a healthy respect for mother nature laced with greed.
Re:so what happens to solaris? (Score:1)
http://www.helixcode.com/desktop [helixcode.com]
Re:Ximian?! (Score:1)
Not just because X's are cool. These aren't ordinary monxeys, but X-monxeys - genetically superior and posessing incredible powers.
Beaux No-Beaux: Able to play "She loves me, She loves me not" without a flower!
Eve Olution: Able to see far beyond what mere mortal monxeys can. This gives her a better Outlook on things.
G. Num Eric: Mathematical skills that are uncanny. Has been known to recalculate the impact of actions involving many variables. The rest of the team looks to him for quick decisions. He has a penchant for stupid names that often overrides his precision logic. This is his only weakness.
Re:Crappy (Score:2)
--
Re:The Real Reason Behind the Change (Score:1)
Really. Like BlueDraco says, job titles are meaningless, and the more pompous they sound the more certain you can be that the job stinks.
--
Crap Code, Inc. is still free ;-) (Score:2)
And no no no no no this is not because I think they suck, I use Helix Code all the time. It's just that I could see the humor of a "guaranteed trademark-free" name like Crap Code, Inc. and I think the name of Ximian is even more of an insult to the Good Stuff they write.
So H.C.: I'll give you 3 months time to pick up the name, with no response I might just start using it myself
It's... It's...
Re:And this Really dances off your fingers! (Score:1)
Re:Related story (Score:1)
Re:ne1 seen an audio file around with pronounciati (Score:2)
Ximian? (Score:1)
Bad monkey!
Re:The name change. (Score:1)
Someone may want to tell him his company changed names! :)
-Bob Zill
My very first Slashdot post!
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Hm. (Score:1)
--
OMG! GNOME (Score:5)
Now
Owned by
Monkey
Enthusiasts!
Ximian?! (Score:1)
Did they contact Namix [namix.com]? Should they have?
They named it after an ape... (Score:1)
"The genitalia of the Ximian red ape is quite visible between its legs, but don't attempt to disable it with a strike to that region. It has almost no nerve endings in its genitals, which additionally allows the red ape to make love for hours without orgasming. Instead, aim your blow for the sharp bone ridge above its eyes; the sonar organ located therein will ring with the force of your blow for many minutes, stunning the creature."
Ted Nancy, Anyone? (Score:1)
One of the stranger ones (in his first book; his second two books are exponentially funnier) was a letter to Shasta Soda about how he heard that they were changing their name to "Laarksvard's Hot Cream." (He also wrote to the Taj Mahal, saying that he heard they were being converted into a Staples Office Supply Chain Store...)
When I read this, all I could think of was "Shasta" and "Laarksvard's Hot Cream"...
Is it just me or (Score:2)
Agilent
Itanium
Duron
Ximian
He must be stopped...
Re:They can't pronounce they're own name! (Score:1)
Love your autosig!
Re:Ximian? (Score:1)
--
Propagate THAT locally! (Score:2)
$ which ximian-update
ximian-update: Command not found
Ok, NOW what? :)
Re:Wow (Score:1)
or iBiblio,
or Agilent,
or any of the other "funky, trademarkable names" (translation: stupid, annoying, meaningless) that a lot of big companies have changed their name to over the last few years....
Re:There is an evil naming mastermind behind this! (Score:1)
Ximian ? (Score:1)
Re:The Real Reason Behind the Change (Score:2)
Patrick Draper
IBM
Galley Slave/Rower
Re:Could be worse: Syzgzy? Ibiblio? (Score:1)
last resort (Score:1)
Re:Could be worse: Syzgzy? Ibiblio? (Score:3)
yikes (Score:1)
Re:The name change. (Score:1)
When you want to change your name, you first see what www.???.com isn't taken, and then use that. If you tell people your new name before you register your ???, then it won't be available any more.
Sad fact of life that the internet is full of arsehole squatters.
and evolution is being renamed... (Score:1)
so what happens to solaris? (Score:2)
follow-up (Score:3)
Re:yikes (Score:3)
Assuming everyone else has read the FAQ [ximian.com], yes you are the only one.
Re:The Real Reason Behind the Change (Score:1)
The Real Reason Behind the Change (Score:4)
Don't believe me? Read between the lines here:
See? No further proof needed.
Re:so what happens to solaris? (Score:1)
XINAWM= Xena, Warrier Mistress
Lucy Lawless! aaaah...
Surprising facts (Score:1)
"... The genitalia of the Ximian red ape is quite visible between its legs, but don't attempt to disable it with a strike to that region. It has almost no nerve endings in its genitals, which additionally allows the red ape to make love for hours without orgasming. Instead, aim your blow for the sharp bone ridge above its eyes; the sonar organ located therein will ring with the force of your blow for many minutes, stunning the creature.
http://www.armory.com/~crisper/Fiction/lessons.
Re:Ted Nancy, Anyone? (Score:2)
--
Re:Wow (Score:2)
Ximian. Great. Not be confused with the similarly spelled but equally meaningless Ximean, Ximeon, and Ximien. (quick, go grab those TLDs before some other bastard does).
We're really winning some "linux is easy" converts with that one.
W
-------------------
Re:another t-shirt in the history of techdom (Score:1)
First we change our name... and everyone rushes out to by new tees... then because everyone complains about the new name... we'll switch back to the old name and everyone will rush out and buy new tees and hail us for going back...
"Helix Classic"
Re:It just the first step... (Score:3)
Don't bother booing. I just cut my own ears off to teach myself a lesson for that, and I won't be able to hear.
--
Re:so what happens to solaris? (Score:2)
That must suck for Ximian, now that they have their own 'Ximian Gnome'.
:>
Sorry. Just being a pedantic geek. Obviously, at the minimum a search and replace of all instances of 'Helix Code' are in order.
(for the record, I liked the old name much better. oh well)
- Jeff A. Campbell
In Chinese this means... (Score:1)
Ummm, now it all makes sense doesn't it?
Earl
Shameless attention getter. (Score:2)
From the FAQ...
Has anything else changed?
No
Re:yikes (Score:1)
sim-ee-en
(as in the monkey logo)
It Xucks. (Score:1)
Re:The Real Reason Behind the Change (Score:1)
So would I. But a Rocket Scientist is a proper job title (unless you're not working with rockets). But I'd MUCH rather be called a "Chief Systems Officer" than a "Propeller head" for example.
Real job titles are never pompous. That's why I call them "real". Otherwise they should be called pompous or ridiculous accordingly.
FAQ? (Score:1)
From the FAQ: Can I get a new monkey that says Ximian.com?
I'm fairly certain this question did NOT enter MY mind when I thought "Oh Helix Code is changing their name?"
In fact, I'd like to know who DOES think this sort of thing? And why they're asking it frequently. And more importantantly what the heck are they doing with the OLD monkey?
Re:It just the first step... (Score:1)
Re:Where it's coming from? (Score:1)
--
Re:Wow (Score:1)
But iBiblio really DOES mean something - 'Biblio' as in 'book', in other words "online library" (which it pretty much is).
Re:The Real Reason Behind the Change (Score:1)
At a job I held for several years, my official title was "The Computer Guy". I don't know about pompousness, but it was really pretty accurate.
Monkey see, Monkey do (Score:1)
haha (Score:1)
Re:There is an evil naming mastermind behind this! (Score:1)
http://www.lexicon-branding.com/ [lexicon-branding.com]
You should really check out the different things they claim for naming, such as the Swiffer, the name Pentium for Intel's processors...
Re:The Real Reason Behind the Change (Score:1)
Re:Wow (Score:1)
Believe me, "Helix Code" was just as weird at first..
A name just gets a meaning from things that are associated with it, it is just a "label" for a group of things. Ximian is pretty ok, it could be a lot worse, like gWhiz or something :o)
Re:It just the first step... (Score:1)
Good luck to all involved in the Gnome/GTK+ efforts, no matter what they call themselves.
Re:Where it's coming from? (Score:3)
Makes sense to me, regardless of how cool 'Helix Code' sounded and how dumb the new name sounds.
- Jeff A. Campbell
From the "I-just-made-it-up" file (Score:1)
--
Why? (Score:1)
I think that it would be much easier to get people that have never used Linux to use something that says Helix Code than something that says Ximian. I mean, I can relate to Helix Code - I've heard of Helix (Double Helix DNA stuff) and I've heard of Code (Programming, Cyrptographic, whatever), but Ximian?? I had to double check the webpage to make sure I spelled it right! Are they sure they made the right move on this?
--
80's computer game? (Score:1)
I can see a whole lot of emu freaks going "hmmmm, Ximian, yeah I remember that one! you had to shoot stuff or something, damn, that is one huge ROM"
Name collision (Score:5)
Still, "Ximian"? Yikes.
Re:The Real Reason Behind the Change (Score:2)
Infinite Monkey
That's sad actually. This funky titles trend is getting progressively more iritating. It all began with dotcoms giving their imployees "amusing" job titles in lieu of decent salaries. I hope this trend will die with the demise of the dotcom "culture" because it indicates the companies don't take their staff seriously. This raises my concern that they don't take their customers seriously either. It also makes it difficult to figure out who you're actually dealing with when you're in a discussion with a "packet pusher" (sysadmin, network technician or a tcp/ip developer?). Go to your manager and demand a normal, "boring" job title along with a raise. Just giving some free advice as a friend.
Re:Who owned Helix trademark? (Score:1)
Re:It just the first step... (Score:1)
Re:The Real Reason Behind the Change (Score:1)
In other news ... (Score:2)
Re:Surprising facts (Score:4)
It also allows the red ape to develop software for years without delivering a stable version.
Re:Who owned Helix trademark? (Score:2)
It probably has something to do with Helix Educational Software [carolina.com].
I've got one word for you... (Score:2)
Everybody remember when Borland changed their name to this? Everybody remember how stupid it was? What's their name now?
Yeah.
Coincidence.... (Score:2)
Let's hope this doesn't go the way of OpenSales after they changed their name to something strange (Zelerate).
helix-update? (Score:2)
Mike Roberto
- GAIM: MicroBerto
Re:Hmm....just a thought.... (Score:2)
--
Obfuscated e-mail addresses won't stop sadistic 12-year-old ACs.
What's Up With Name Changes? (Score:2)
There seems to be a lot of sucky name changing going on lately. Ximian??? What's that? A monkey that knows how to run a photocopier? This is almost as bad as the one Andersen Consulting did. Now they're... umm... see? It's really bad and I can't even remember it.
maybe... (Score:4)
--------------
Who owned Helix trademark? (Score:2)
Re:ne1 seen an audio file around with pronounciati (Score:2)
...phil
Re:Good name for a Semiconductor Company? (Score:2)
Re:Related story (Score:2)
(Actually, SKB/GSK is a huge employer of tech folks in this area of PA. I really should know this.)
Re:Hmm....just a thought.... (Score:3)
It's a get rich quick scheme!!!! (Score:2)
Update... (Score:2)
...this just in: we've spoken Miguel de Icaza personally who has denied this vicuous hoax. Reportedly, Helix will continue to be the name, they didn't really mean it.
translation: the slashdot audience hates the name, we can just claim it a hoax and keep the old name.... keep thinking of a better one.
Or, is this just to compete with Xaero - upon startx the little monkey will do a backflip and shoot you with his rail gun....
But I LIKED Helix... (Score:3)
There is an evil naming mastermind behind this! (Score:2)
Not an individual, but a company called Lexicon, I quote from CNET (this was the first reference to them I could find)
They are the ones responsible for this weird name trend, I can't seem to find their website though, can anyone help me out?
They can't pronounce they're own name! (Score:3)
How do you say Ximian?
ZIM-ee-un, to rhyme with "simian."
This is incorrect. The correct pronunciation (read slowly):
St-oooooooo-pid.
Wow (Score:2)
(It's not flamebait; it's my opinion.)
signed,
a Helix Gnome user
Re:The Real Reason Behind the Change (Score:5)
Ian Peters
Infinite Monkey
Just to add fuel to the fire...
--
Ian Peters
Ugh! (Score:3)
The name change. (Score:5)
The project began By the end of the summer we were still using IGS as our name, and we had been talking to a lot of people about IGS. Although we did not like the name, and we started looking for a new one.
Nat had picked up the name Hopscotch, which I did not like. The name also had problems because some company owned the trademark for the name, so we had to look for another one. The debate for the name had created so many constraints that we were uncapable of agreeing to the suggestions that the other one did.
Eventually, we came up with two lists of suggestions, and Nat said `Ok, remove the ones you dont hate from my list, and I will do the same to yours'.
And we ended up with two empty lists.
So we were in this Evolution kind of mood (because of our product, and our recent interest in evolution), and Nat suggested finally `what about Code Helix?' and given our previous frustration, we quickly agreed on it. We later that day changed our minds, as we thought that Code Helix would make people think `They do developer tools' (I do not remember what was the thought process that followed here), but we changed the name to `Helix Code'.
Now, this was not a final name, it was just a temporary name that we would use to incorporate the company, and we would change it as soon as possible. Neither Nat nor I liked the name originally, so every time we told a friend "We are starting a company!" when the question about the name came in, we would explain for five minutes why it was not such a great name and so on.
We began the work to find a new name almost in march 2000, when we were told by our lawyers that it would be very hard to avoid other companies to produce Helix products (like this complete copy of Helix Code that is not associated with us: Helix Code UK [helixcode.co.uk]).
A temporary name that Jacob liked was "Loolix Bode" which was what the ATT 411 service guessed when we called for information about the company once.
The process of the name change had been going for a number of months and many names were suggested. Both Nat and I experimented extreme frustration and lack of imagination after countless meetings to change the name. Jacob to this day calls the company "Loolix Bode 2000". And Ian still calls the company "Mr. Rupert's Quality Software Group" (mr rupert being the Helix mascot).
After a year, I am very attached to Helix Code, but the name and products we would produce would be pretty much unprotectable, and there would be no guarantee to customers that they were purchasing software or services from us. And too many companies already had Helix-prefixed products that were in similar domains.
There were a lot of nice sounding names, and various names we scanned from various countries, towns, cultures, languages, but most of the ones I liked were at least taken on the DNS.
There are even more details to the story, but they are quite boring.
The Ximian name fits nicely with our monkey logo and with our monkey culture and with the evolutionary theme that has been in the company since we started it.
Best wishes,
Miguel.
Re:yikes (Score:2)
I mean, even if you haven't read the FAQ [ximian.com], it's pretty obvious that this is yet another pun on their favourite simian theme (cf bonobo etc).
And lastly, please Taco, take some lessons in Spanish, because that line was really embarassing.
--
Related story (Score:2)
Re:In Chinese this means... (Score:2)
Read it backwards (Score:2)
It is a metareference to the fact that they had to change the name.
Or I read too much Internet.
__
You'll get used to it (Score:2)
BUT WE GET USED TO THEM and eventually we can say them and spell them without hardly thinking about it.
They'll do fine.
Re:There is an evil naming mastermind behind this! (Score:2)
If the Helix name has for some reason become verboten, I think they should present a list of names and cast a vote. Ximian, frankly, sucks. I'm e-mailing them right now.
Re:ne1 seen an audio file around with pronounciati (Score:2)
The Naming Profession (Score:2)
Re:Hmm... (Score:3)
On an unrelated note Ximian is a REALLY stupid name while Helix Code was actually kind of cool...
.technomancer
Hmm....just a thought.... (Score:2)