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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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