# Gitea Fork Name Choice - Feedback Results *Written by [fr33domlover](https://todon.nl/@fr33domlover) on 2022-Nov-12* *Going to gather the feedback from the form (linked below) on Monday, Nov 14; if you need more time, please let me know :-)* Based on the criteria people brought up, and the concerns and the excitement, I've identified the following 2 options as having the most support and least concern: 1. **Smithy** 2. **Forgejo** - Main concern about Smithy: There's a [IDL by Amazon](https://github.com/awslabs/smithy) named Smithy (so they could put legal pressure on us to change the name), and a bit harder to make it appear at the top on search engines - Main concern about Forgejo: Unclear/very confusing pronounciation, esperanto less known that english, doesn't tie into the Forgers Guild story as easily as Smithy **Smithy** seems a better fit to me, with a clearer pronounciation and the Forgers Guild vision. However, many people expresssed excitement about Forgejo. I created another form to help us make the final choice. ---- **Please go over the rest of this pad below! Because *seeing other people's concerns may affect your choice*** **And then please fill the following form**: https://box.towards.vision/apps/forms/QMwFGF2ot2Lekf83 ## (1) Smithy Problems: - Amazon IDL: Go with this anyway, deal with it as we go? - A bit harder SEO story to it, to get it appear top of the search engine - English centric "th" Variants: - Smitty/Smittea to get rid of 'th' (but nobody excited about them) - Smithea: Keeps some of the history in its name and keeps the "roundness" of Gitea (more info in the [chat](https://matrix.to/#/!qjPHwFPdxhpLkXMkyP:matrix.org/$sallsCD4my5ItH-oEL97plyBh2H7LX_lV6oc1Bu21mA?via=matrix.org&via=tchncs.de&via=exozy.me)). - Smithli (but why? for libre? weird to pronounce, unclear meaning) More info: There is an AWS IDL named smithy which could cause problems if Amazon asks the name is changed. Even if they don't win in court they can burry the project in legal fees before it gets a chance to go to court. But if they ever bother us with this, we could decide to change the name to avoid legal and financial trouble. Or make it public and hope they leave us alone to avoid bad publicity? Dachary: We unfortunately live in world where there never are zero risks when working on Free Software and we have to make choices knowing we are exposed, every day. Although the risk of a legal problem related to the trademark exists, I think it is significantly lower than the risk of being chased by software patent trolls. This difficult decision falls on us and no lawyer can help us: they can just confirm the risk exists but we already know that. It is for each of us, with our own common sense and experience, to answer the question: is the risk in the acceptable range? I chose Smithy because I think the risk is acceptable. @circlebuilder: In addition to what Dachary mentions there are many and attractive ways to adjust storytelling to mitigate the issue. First, here's some [blacksmithing](https://castmastereliteshop.com/blogs/news/a-glossary-of-blacksmithing-terms) terminology, and here's [professional forging](https://www.forging.org/glossary-of-forging-terms) one (random internet search results). - It appears that a Forge is part of a Smithy. Part of the tool inventory. - So take website at `smithy.tools` - Website slogan to be `Smithy - Tools for forging software` - Codeberg organization at `smithy-tools` - Gitea fork repo as `forge` --> Solves name clash :smiley: - Delve into terminology for naming other repo's e.g. `anvil` (CLI), `weld` (federation extension), `cast` (release packaging) .. just making these up. Smithy is now more like an organization / product name. In content you can refer to "Smithy Toolkit" and "Blacksmith's Toolbelt", etc. Additional advantage is that `smithy.town` isn't needed at all at this moment and still free. This is an ideal name for a self-hosted `smithy forge` instance for [The Forgers Guild](https://forg.es) run collectively by its guild members and for [journeypersons](https://redsealrecruiting.com/journeyman-vs-journeyperson/). (**Note**: This hasn't been elaborated, discussed, nor proposed yet, but it makes great sense if both Codename as well as Codeberg would consider themselves part of The Forgers Guild. Situated in Smithy Town at the base of the mountain "forging free software" that is loved and wanted the world over) (@circlebuilder registered domain names)  <small>_(image: ["The Rendezvous"](https://www.davidrevoy.com/article638/illustration-the-rendezvous) by [David Revoy](https://framapiaf.org/@davidrevoy), [CC-BY](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/))_ </small> The idea for the name aligns with the friendlier terminology we are using in [The Forgers Guild](https://forg.es). But also to general storytelling of this Forger's [Software Guild](https://discuss.coding.social/t/unionize-free-software-found-software-guilds/59) and its Mission / Vision: - Vision: Free the Free Software Development Lifecycle (e.g. #GiveUpGithub) - Mission: Liberate Free Software Development (from Hypercapitalism) How does this relate to branding? As follows: - Have branding that is less attractive for the corporates, appealing for FOSS folks. - Avoids overused naming such as "Libre" and even "Git". This brings it to GNU-like FOSS fanatic only appeal. - Have storytelling that's friendly and depicts a time before hypercapitalism, that we'd like to see kinda sorta in post-hypercapitalism world, with a fair system in place. - In terms of world setting the artwork of [David Revoy](https://www.davidrevoy.com/) is given as an example. He's already doing this for [FramaSoft](https://framasoft.org/en/). The people involved (community, relating to developers): - Codesmith's --> "Who forge free software and liberate code", Code liberators. In terms of Storytelling with relation to Codeberg: _"A theme that involves green pastures, nature and wild-life, new horizons. A setting like that of the Alps where small pittoresque Towns (communities) sit in their valleys. And Guilds with blacksmiths that are dilligently at work. Fully dedicated to “forging free software” for the fine residents in the surrounding areas and far beyond. In the picture above Pepper is sitting at the base of the Codeberg, smiling and happy."_ In terms of domain names: - For the product: **Smithy** - For the project: **smithy.tools** - Alternative, and/or: **smithy.town** **smithy.town** is ideal to be a main server where e.g. the Smithy codebase is hosted, if this is not on Codeberg. Especially with federation support, as instance name. > smithy is a direct substitute for 'forge' but sounds less industrial, more artisan / craftspeople. > [name=[Wordnik's definition](https://www.wordnik.com/words/smithy)] We might commission [David Revoy](https://framapiaf.org/@davidrevoy) to draw a nice mascotte & logo. Also possible: "Smithy Town" for the community / "Smithy Tools" for the product, and specific tools as project / repo names. As Ryuno-Ki mentioned that'll be (Smithy) Anvil, (Smithy) Cauldron, (Smithy) Plyers, etc. - Smithy Town: "Free software crafts" - Smithy Tools: "Forge free software" Alternative if Smithy isn't available: Smythy (Old English spelling). ## (2) Forgejo Means "forge" in Esperanto. Problems: - Doesn't tie into the Forgers Guild story as easily as Smithy - Esperanto much less recognizable than English; unclear pronounciation (Forge-Joe? Forge-Yo? Sounds weird?) - Attention split between Esperanto and "Forge", maybe distraction if we want the focus on "Forge"? Motivation: - Short, memorable - onepict: I like Esperanto, the language is about finding community together through language as it takes words from lots of languages.) - See the matrix chat for a rough [pronunciation](https://matrix.to/#/!qjPHwFPdxhpLkXMkyP:matrix.org/$gnSNjsdQ15gb26lcW-oIHsNvVLWLAYoFCUAgej2ArMQ?via=matrix.org&via=exozy.me&via=tchncs.de) - codedotjs: Esperanto wants to be an easy language for as much people as possible. This is also kind of what we want with our project. The forging aspect is also applied here. In other words: "A place where people all around the world are forging code together."