Orie Steele: Naming is one of the hardest things that humans do, it's also one of the most important things. I like what Manu said about the Web... descriptive names have a place, non-descriptive higher order names have a place. [scribe assist by Manu Sporny] ✪
Orie Steele: As an engineer, I require descriptive names, it's how I understand what it is they're trying to do... if they're trying to do HTML but calling it something different, that's a problem for me. It's important not to abandon descriptive names, but it's also important not to stop at them. [scribe assist by Manu Sporny] ✪
Orie Steele: Descriptive names are helpful to update as the thing they're describing requires them to change. You also need bigger picture, fluffier names that are more welcoming. You also don't want to destroy the technical communities ability to also specifically identify what they're talking about. [scribe assist by Manu Sporny] ✪
Andrew Hughes: Maybe a project code name is useful in the beginning ✪
Topic: Branding Tips from Kerri, Kimberly, Moses and Manu
<agropper_> The result of this work might be decentralization
<manu_sporny> Kerri is here! :P
<manu_sporny> She just joined.
<kerri_lemoie> Hello :)
<heather_vescent> • Name it for the end audience not the builder: Sometimes the end audience are the developers, but oftentimes the end audience are CTOs, CIOs, funders, investors, media, or users who may not be as technically informed. Consider a name that works for developers and end audience.
Moses Ma: We should consider is this the wild west, tap into the fear ✪
Manu Sporny: We need to access the right emotion, this is about safety ✪
... verifiable web helps folks feel safe
... the words, issuer, holder, verifier, verifiable data registry
... we named things by committee...
... surprisingly successful
... we needed to get buy in from the folks who participate
... everyone needs to be able to see the data
... it does not always work
... voting is just 1 more input
... we avoid simple majority decisions
<bobwyman> The eventual common name for what emerges from this work will probably be more descriptive or evocative of the "experience" of using the components rather than describing any of the qualities of those components.
... the goal is to get the community to agree too what to call things
Moses Ma: If we ask Jerome to come in, it would be useful... however, we would need to give him something ✪
... maybe we trade with him / time for time?
Orie Steele: Sometimes there are "standards" and "community perspective" on them, and then wider non-technical stakeholder, and then specific companies that build a brand on the monopoly or interpretation on those standards. [scribe assist by Manu Sporny] ✪
Orie Steele: What I've seen is one community using wording that latches on to standards brand, and there will be people building businesses on top of open standards, we should be sensitive to existing branding, but think about how people will brand their services to their customers. [scribe assist by Manu Sporny] ✪
Orie Steele: We shouldn't attempt to pick the word that they use so we give them that ability to do that. [scribe assist by Manu Sporny] ✪