[fpc-pascal] OT: Rename for Pascal

[Michael Van Canneyt]

On Mon, 13 Aug 2007, Tom Walsh wrote:

> ik wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > I wonder how can we make Pascal and FPC more attractive to people, and
> > I believe in what Donal Knuth have said:
> >
> > "The most important thing in the programming language is the name. A
> > language will not succeed without a good name. I have recently
> > invented a very good name and now I am looking for a suitable
> > language."
> >
> > So I believe that  if we will change the name, it might help. What do
> > you think ? And what name will you prefer to see FPC as ?
> >
> >   
> 
> FWIW, I am in the early stages of a commercial development using Free Pascal
> and have to submit weekly progress reports.  I cringe whenever I have to put
> the phrase "Free Pascal Compiler" in the report!  This project is with a
> company that just spent 4+ million US dollars on a Java solution (client and
> server side) to replace all their old Pascal code, then, their clients told
> them they didn't like the Java solution, that they wanted to keep using the
> Pascal stuff!

And rightly so :-)

Obviously their clients have more sense than this company does...
 
> Not that the compiler is junky, but the word "Free" does have a negative
> connotation.  Many business people still associate "free software" with that
> of being low-quality.  Business people are used to paying thousands of dollars
> for any development software worthy of notice, the word "free" doesn't fit
> into their thinking.

Well, change their thinking.

You are not doing us or yourself a favour by allowing their braindead habits to 
continue existing... But if you must, write FPC (to stop you from cringing) or
write Lazarus instead.

Michael.