A few years ago I worked for a multinational European company that decided to rebrand itself and get one company name that was equally inoffensive across Europe. After paying a brand naming company to look at the business and find a name that worked across all European languages we duly started the rebranding. Then one of the programmers went on this newfangled internet thingy and found that the domain had already been snaffled by a site that gave information about how to grow marijuana.
Moral of the story, getting a name that makes sense or at least isn't wildly inappropriate in multiple languages is a non trivial matter, and the more languages you have to worry about the more difficult it is. We have been focussed on English but Wikimania is a global event so any rebrand has to work on all languages. Happy to change my mind if ISIS rebrands itself as WKImania or some country elects Ms Wickinamia as head of state. Regards WereSpielChequers > On 3 Nov 2016, at 15:26, Lodewijk <[email protected]> wrote: > > I think we haven't had this discussion for at least five years, so I guess > it's fine to have it again. I don't feel a particular need to change either, > but there's no other way to find out if many people do feel such need, than > to have this discussion. I'm fine with people putting arguments together in a > constructive fashion like this, and then after that, seeing whether there's a > widely shared sentiment to change, based on that. > > Lodewijk > > 2016-11-03 16:13 GMT+01:00 Luca Martinelli <[email protected]>: >> Sorry for my bluntness, but... are we REALLY having this conversation? We're >> about to question our annual summit's name after 12 editions? Is it really a >> problem? >> >> L. >> >> >> Il 03 nov 2016 14:29, "Chris Keating" <[email protected]> ha >> scritto: >>> Well, the idea of "-mania" meaning "collective outpouring of enthusiasm" >>> rather than "mental illness" dates to at least the 1960s with Beatlemania, >>> even if the original use of the formulation - >>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisztomania - was intended to have clinical >>> meaning. >>> >>> I am unaware of any actual objections to this usage from, for instance, >>> psychiatrists or mental health organisations. >>> >>> Chris >>> >>> >>> >>>> On Thu, Nov 3, 2016 at 1:16 PM, Stuart Prior >>>> <[email protected]> wrote: >>>> "Mania" is not a word where the meaning has completely changed, and is >>>> still evidently used in current psychiatry. >>>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mania#References >>>> >>>> A prescriptivist view of the word would be deciding what it doesn't mean, >>>> as much as what it does. >>>> Gordo is rightly pointing out that nowadays it just has more meanings, and >>>> has stigmatising qualities like the words "lame", "retard" etc. And we >>>> should think about that as a movement that tries to be inclusive. >>>> >>>> Personally I've always thought that Wikimania needed a name change >>>> (Wikimedia Conference needs a name change too). WikiGlobal? WikiSummit? >>>> WikiFest? >>>> >>>> S >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>>> On 3 November 2016 at 12:54, Stephan Schulz <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etymological_fallacy >>>>> >>>>> > On 03 Nov 2016, at 13:52, Pierre-Selim <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>> > >>>>> > I'm not specially shocked. In France we have a video game retail >>>>> > company called Micromania (based on microcomputer and mania), who >>>>> > targeted video game player (I don't think the name of the company is >>>>> > confused by anyone as a medical condition or an insult). >>>>> > >>>>> > Long time ago I heard a good joke about the naming of the conference: >>>>> > it should be called the Wikimedia Conference and what is call now the >>>>> > Wikimedia Conference should probably be called Wikimania >>>>> > >>>>> > 2016-11-03 13:28 GMT+01:00 Gordon Joly <[email protected]>: >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> > Is it proper and correct to use the term "mania"? >>>>> > >>>>> > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mania >>>>> > >>>>> > Would we say "WikiMad" or WikiCrazy"? >>>>> > >>>>> > Gordo >>>>> > >>>>> > _______________________________________________ >>>>> > Wikimania-l mailing list >>>>> > [email protected] >>>>> > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> > -- >>>>> > Pierre-Selim >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> > _______________________________________________ >>>>> > Wikimania-l mailing list >>>>> > [email protected] >>>>> > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> ------------------------------ It can be done! >>>>> --------------------------------- >>>>> Please email me as [email protected] (Stephan Schulz) >>>>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> Wikimania-l mailing list >>>>> [email protected] >>>>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> Stuart Prior >>>> Project Coordinator >>>> Wikimedia UK >>>> +44 20 7065 0990 >>>> Wikimedia UK is a Company Limited by Guarantee registered in England and >>>> Wales, Registered No. 6741827. Registered Charity No.1144513. Registered >>>> Office 4th Floor, Development House, 56-64 Leonard Street, London EC2A >>>> 4LT. United Kingdom. Wikimedia UK is the UK chapter of a global Wikimedia >>>> movement. The Wikimedia projects are run by the Wikimedia Foundation (who >>>> operate Wikipedia, amongst other projects). >>>> >>>> Wikimedia UK is an independent non-profit charity with no legal control >>>> over Wikipedia nor responsibility for its contents. >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Wikimania-l mailing list >>>> [email protected] >>>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Wikimania-l mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Wikimania-l mailing list >> [email protected] >> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l > > _______________________________________________ > Wikimania-l mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
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