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Boy, am I sick of renaming this thing

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Sep. 20th, 2006 | 02:02 am

Phoenix, that was a cool name. Damn you PhoenixBIOS. Firebird was good, and who needs another database anyway? Mozilla Firefox is a cute name, with a cute logo. A logo we can't use. Oh wait, we can't use the name either?

So the Mozilla Corporation has asked us to stop using the name "Firefox" in our version of Firefox, unless we use the fox on a globe logo. We can't use the logo because its copyright license is not free. Even if somehow we could do this, they want to vet every patch we apply before we release a package called Firefox containing it.

This puts us in a very difficult position. If there is no traction on the Mozilla side and Debian stands firm on the freeness of non-program files, I don't really see anyway around having to rename Firefox. So what should this new name be? Preferably something clever, nice sounding and not trademarked. I'd like it to be something other distributions can use if they're so inclined. And while Iceweasel is cute, and I enjoy the parody, I'm not sure it has enough sex appeal. Suggestions welcome.
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Comments {277}

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jtarrio

A name for TBFKAFF

from: [info]jtarrio
date: Sep. 20th, 2006 07:09 am (UTC)
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Firechicken!

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np237

Iceweasel

from: [info]np237
date: Sep. 20th, 2006 07:31 am (UTC)
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I really like the iceweasel name, it's kind of cute.

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Save the weasel!

from: anonymous
date: Sep. 20th, 2006 08:57 am (UTC)
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IceWeasel is, without a doubt, the best choice.

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And don't forget to change Debian's name too

from: anonymous
date: Sep. 20th, 2006 09:01 am (UTC)
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As I cannot use the name "Debian" as I want, it is not free and thus restricts our users rights. And the same goes for the swirl above the bottle.

I'm so happy that finally others discovered too that we have to stop calling ourselves Debian and using non licensed logos.

My suggestion is to call the project it simply "". Similar to Prince aka Symbol.

World Peace!

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Foxfire

from: anonymous
date: Sep. 20th, 2006 09:17 am (UTC)
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Foxfire is good enough. And everyone can immediatly recognise Firefox...

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Re: Foxfire - (Anonymous) Expand

lordmuck

(no subject)

from: [info]lordmuck
date: Sep. 20th, 2006 09:26 am (UTC)
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What happens when you flip the trademark switch? What does the browser call itself my default?

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Firesomething

from: anonymous
date: Sep. 20th, 2006 10:05 am (UTC)
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There's an extension for Firefox which changes Firefox's name towards the window manager, in the User-Agent string, and possibly elsewhere. You might want to peruse this extension to grab suggestions or use that name outright.

There's a certain ring to naming something "Firesomething" out of silly copyright regulations ;)

Kim~*

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thumperward

Iceweasel is stupid

from: [info]thumperward
date: Sep. 20th, 2006 11:26 am (UTC)
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There's no reason to go all-out in renaming it. "Freefox" would seem to follow modern conventions for Free clones of non-free software. I'd go with that.

- Chris

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Freefox - (Anonymous) Expand

Airstrip One

Fire-you-know-what

from: [info]airstrip_one
date: Sep. 20th, 2006 12:10 pm (UTC)
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I suggest Fire-you-know-what. Another option would be to integrate the Firesomething extension.

Whichever name do you choose, please make sure that it sounds silly enough.

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TODD

(no subject)

from: [info]xtat
date: Sep. 20th, 2006 12:13 pm (UTC)
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not-firefox :)

I wonder if that would be covered under trademark law-- seemed to work for GNU.

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gravityboy

(no subject)

from: [info]gravityboy
date: Sep. 20th, 2006 12:41 pm (UTC)
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I think 'Debian Firebrand' is an optimal name, complete with double entendre.

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A new name? What about..

from: anonymous
date: Sep. 20th, 2006 12:50 pm (UTC)
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WaterWolf

If they caught fire, we'll cool'em off with water, they think they're smart as foxes, we'll show them we're free like lone wolves! :)

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Let the game beginn!

from: anonymous
date: Sep. 20th, 2006 01:10 pm (UTC)
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FreeFox was a nice one already mentioned, a variant would be OpenFox - even DebFox, PeopleFox or WorldFox are thinkable.

But we should be aware that we need to be prepared for several other Mozilla applications getting into that. So, why not take the opportunity to create a Debian related animal?

FireDolphin, ThunderDolphin ... hmm
FireTumbler, ThunderTumbler ... (not bad)
FireLemming, ThunderLemming ... (hehe)

And don't let us get too intellectual - Debian is for everybody. ;-)

Greetings,
slam

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just put mozilla-branded products in non-free?

from: aim1159
date: Sep. 20th, 2006 03:34 pm (UTC)
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may be it would be wise to put repackeaged binary firefox/thunderbird and so on to non-free section and rename -dfsg "firefox" and "thunderbird" to "debian browser" and "debian e-mail client". since it was some issues with non-working extensions with "debian firefox" it would be wise double times!

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Suggestion

from: anonymous
date: Sep. 20th, 2006 04:27 pm (UTC)
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May I suggest Daubian FireFuck ?

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Re: Suggestion - (Anonymous) Expand

my ideas

from: anonymous
date: Sep. 20th, 2006 04:32 pm (UTC)
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I think iceweasel is not bad. My Idea would be:
firefox -> spitfire
thunderbird -> thunderbolt

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Re: my ideas - (Anonymous) Expand

Unifying Contradiction

(no subject)

from: [info]swestrup
date: Sep. 20th, 2006 06:23 pm (UTC)
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I really like IceWeasel, but I suppose you could always go for PlasmaFox because you're hotter stuff!

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PlasmaFox ! - (Anonymous) Expand

*hound*

from: anonymous
date: Sep. 20th, 2006 06:55 pm (UTC)
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Well, what about using the word hound instead of fox? In fact, after some googling I found hounds are used to hunt foxes...

Icehound, Lightninghound -> as absolute conterparts...
Firehound, Thunderhound -> they sound somewhat better to me

My half of a cent,
xscript

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Re: *hound* - (Anonymous) Expand

signing off

from: anonymous
date: Sep. 20th, 2006 08:05 pm (UTC)
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I renamed it Konqueror a long time ago.

Being the Gnome testbed that it is, Ubuntu could get away with using Epiphany as the default browser.

Names.

Yanff/Yanafff (Yet another name for firefox).

I don't know if it's come up or not, but could one of you DD types ask the Mozilla people if they require signoffs for patches for browsers they no longer support themselves? I'd like to see how that one is justified.

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lumag

(no subject)

from: [info]lumag
date: Sep. 20th, 2006 08:38 pm (UTC)
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It may be an offense for users and Mozilla folk, but I suggest naming it 'Firesucks'.

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(no subject)

from: anonymous
date: Sep. 20th, 2006 08:53 pm (UTC)
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My favourite from the Firesomething extension has always been 'LightningYak'...

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Frigid Beaver

from: anonymous
date: Sep. 20th, 2006 10:11 pm (UTC)
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Frigid: extremely cold (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/frigid)
Beaver: a fluffy reddish animal similar to fox (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/beaver)

This would be the best name describing the cold unloving attitude Mozilla Foundation puts towards Debian, Red Hat, Suse and others. I hate myself saying that, but the problem with Mozilla Foundation is recent comemrcialisation (think: money of Google). Mozilla Foundation is increasingly becoming a corporate behemoth on Open Source Software scene. When people are directed with greed and corporate interests, they stop thinking socially.

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Re: Frigid Beaver - (Anonymous) Expand

My Faves..

from: anonymous
date: Sep. 20th, 2006 10:14 pm (UTC)
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My anonymous coward votes for names mentioned above:

1> Freefox/Freebird

2> Firebrand/Thunderbrand

3> Spitfire/Thunderbolt

Thx!

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No more non-existant animals, please!

from: anonymous
date: Sep. 20th, 2006 11:35 pm (UTC)
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Firephlox. And use a photo of a reddish phlox as logo replacement.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phlox

No, actually I'd prefer freefox or foxfire.

It should be noted that Google returns firefox search results for both of these.

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Fire Bird, Fire Ant, Firefly

from: anonymous
date: Sep. 21st, 2006 04:08 am (UTC)
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Fire Bird,
Fire Ant,
Firefly

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WindChicken! - (Anonymous) Expand
(no subject) - (Anonymous) Expand