Re: [idn] AMC-ACE-Z has a name: Punycode

[tedd <tedd@sperling.com>]

>AMC-ACE-Z, which has always been a working name, now has a real name:
>Punycode.  I just submitted draft-ietf-idn-punycode-00.txt.  It can be
>obtained now from:
>
>http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~amc/idn/
>
>Why "Punycode"?  It rhymes with Unicode and is intended to encode
>Unicode strings.  It is "puny" in three senses:  The repertoire of
>characters used in the encoded strings is small, the encoded strings are
>short, and the implementation is small.

Really?

Naming things (i.e., children, cars, algorithms) should be well 
thought out with respect to how they are to be received. For example, 
General Motors introduced the Chevy "Nova" in South America, it was 
apparently unaware that "no va" meant locally "it won't go" and found 
poor sales. Duh.

Is "Punycode" really the name what you want to reflect the end-result 
of this groups work effort? For example:

Puny -- meaning of inferior size, strength, or significance; weak; sickly; ill

The inference certainly doesn't instill a feeling of strength and 
significance regardless of the competence of the algorithm.

Additionally, have you thought about what the industry might make of 
it, nicknames such as:

Funnycode, Ponycode, Pcode

All, of which I would suggest to you does not present the work done 
on this in the best light.

IMO, the inference of a name means something -- and it should be 
considered. Even Microsoft has not been able to overcome the "small 
and limp" inference in some circles. Then again, maybe what others 
think about what this group has done shouldn't be a concern for this 
group? I don't know, that's your call.

On the other hand, it does rhyme with Unicode...

My $0.02

tedd

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