[osol-discuss] Re: [desktop-discuss] Project Proposal :: JDS

[Brian Nitz]

My only misgiving about Glynn's proposal to promote the desktop to a 
project was the name of this project.  A significant proportion of the 
emails on the Sun Java Desktop Support forums are questions about Java 
(often on Microsoft Windows!) which have nothing to do with the Sun 
Java(tm) Desktop System.  If the Sun Java(tm) Desktop System had been 
named OpenWindows(tm),  there might have been some confusion with Sun's 
legacy product  and Microsoft's proprietary desktop which came out a few 
years after Sun's OpenWindows, but I doubt we'd have as much namespace 
collision as JDS has with Java.

I agree that we should emphasize the open community components which 
make up the desktop.  But I'm not sure how.  Gnome Firefox Thunderbird 
OpenSolaris(tm) doesn't make a very good acronym and the name and makeup 
of the components may change in time (e.g. Mozilla->Firefox)   
OpenSolaris Community Desktop?

Glynn Foster wrote:
> Hey,
>
> The naming of Java Desktop System, JDS, was amazingly unfortunate. While
> I can appreciate the thought of consolidating our software offerings,
> we're pretty much pissing off as many people as we can ;)
>
> Most of the core desktop is written in C, so calling it 'Java' is a bit
> of a stretch. Hiding the fact that it's a mixture of 'GNOME', 'Firefox',
> 'Thunderbird' and others isn't going to do ourselves any PR favours
> either. On the other side of the fence, the Java dudes are probably
> equally miffed that we have the audacity to use their brand to sell our
> product.
>
> I don't think the likes of Red Hat or Novell are in any better situation
> in terms of trademarked names though.
>
>
>
> Glynn
>
> Stephen Harpster wrote:
>   
>> OK wise guy!  ;-)
>>
>> I'll let you guys figure it out.....
>>
>>
>>
>> Rich Teer wrote:
>>     
>>> On Mon, 17 Jul 2006, Stephen Harpster wrote:
>>>
>>>   
>>>       
>>>> The trademark is actually on the "Sun Java" part, i.e., the official mark is
>>>>       Sun Java(TM) Desktop System
>>>>
>>>> Technically, you're supposed to use the full mark for the first and most prominent reference.  After that, "Sun" may be
>>>> dropped.
>>>>
>>>> I think you're right that a non-restricted name such as OSDS (OpenSolaris Desktop System) would be better.....
>>>>     
>>>>         
>>> Nice idea, but isn't "OpenSolaris" a Sun TM too?
>>>
>>>   
>>>       
>> -- 
>> Stephen Harpster
>> Director, Open Source Software
>> Sun Microsystems, Inc.
>>
>>     
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