Comments on: From Firstborns to Chewbacca in between matzo ball soup and matzo munchies http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/03/from-firstborns-to-chewbacca-in-between-matzo-ball-soup-and-matzo-munchies/ Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:24:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: jackd http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/03/from-firstborns-to-chewbacca-in-between-matzo-ball-soup-and-matzo-munchies/comment-page-1/#comment-192449 jackd Thu, 05 Apr 2007 20:39:27 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/03/from-firstborns-to-chewbacca-in-between-matzo-ball-soup-and-matzo-munchies/#comment-192449 I've been amused for a longish time at the Slashdot post that mentioned two routers named Kyle and Stan with the main server being Big Gay Al. I’ve been amused for a longish time at the Slashdot post that mentioned two routers named Kyle and Stan with the main server being Big Gay Al.

]]> By: Jeff R. http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/03/from-firstborns-to-chewbacca-in-between-matzo-ball-soup-and-matzo-munchies/comment-page-1/#comment-192417 Jeff R. Thu, 05 Apr 2007 17:12:05 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/03/from-firstborns-to-chewbacca-in-between-matzo-ball-soup-and-matzo-munchies/#comment-192417 A place I used to work used Lord of the Rings characters. Where I work now, we mostly use names of cities and towns in Mass. I await the day we need to use manchester-by-the-sea. One cluster uses players on the 2004 Red Sox. There is some logic to it: the database server is varitek and its hot backup is mirabelli. I like two of the USNO's time servers: tick.usno.navy.mil and tock.usno.navy.mil. A place I used to work used Lord of the Rings characters. Where I work now, we mostly use names of cities and towns in Mass. I await the day we need to use manchester-by-the-sea. One cluster uses players on the 2004 Red Sox. There is some logic to it: the database server is varitek and its hot backup is mirabelli. I like two of the USNO’s time servers: tick.usno.navy.mil and tock.usno.navy.mil.

]]> By: Michael http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/03/from-firstborns-to-chewbacca-in-between-matzo-ball-soup-and-matzo-munchies/comment-page-1/#comment-192360 Michael Thu, 05 Apr 2007 01:48:22 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/03/from-firstborns-to-chewbacca-in-between-matzo-ball-soup-and-matzo-munchies/#comment-192360 Our servers used to have names like Jalapeno, Paprika, Bell, Dr....; this of course so we could just refer to "the peppers". No Sergeant, though; too tough for the spelling-challenged developers, I assume. This convention died (mostly) a couple of years ago, luckily before all of the nasty Fark-readers insisted we name the next new machine "Brian". Back to lurkerdom.... Our servers used to have names like Jalapeno, Paprika, Bell, Dr….; this of course so we could just refer to “the peppers”. No Sergeant, though; too tough for the spelling-challenged developers, I assume. This convention died (mostly) a couple of years ago, luckily before all of the nasty Fark-readers insisted we name the next new machine “Brian”.
Back to lurkerdom….

]]> By: Matthew Gordon http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/03/from-firstborns-to-chewbacca-in-between-matzo-ball-soup-and-matzo-munchies/comment-page-1/#comment-192331 Matthew Gordon Wed, 04 Apr 2007 21:37:59 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/03/from-firstborns-to-chewbacca-in-between-matzo-ball-soup-and-matzo-munchies/#comment-192331 I guess I should mention (as I did over Pesach) that my current lab names the scientific instruments (though not necessarily the computers attached to them) after washed-up 80s starts. We have a David Hasselhoff, a Molly Ringwald, and a Tony Danza. I guess I should mention (as I did over Pesach) that my current lab names the scientific instruments (though not necessarily the computers attached to them) after washed-up 80s starts. We have a David Hasselhoff, a Molly Ringwald, and a Tony Danza.

]]> By: Slayton I. Musgo http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/03/from-firstborns-to-chewbacca-in-between-matzo-ball-soup-and-matzo-munchies/comment-page-1/#comment-192324 Slayton I. Musgo Wed, 04 Apr 2007 21:09:58 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/03/from-firstborns-to-chewbacca-in-between-matzo-ball-soup-and-matzo-munchies/#comment-192324 Nobody uses the Lord of the Rings naming convention? I used to see so many servers named Gandalf, Frodo, Bilbo, etc. that I assumed it was an obscure requirement. We use rivers now, based on geography and size: biggest server in India = Ganges, biggest in America = Amazon, etc. Nobody uses the Lord of the Rings naming convention? I used to see so many servers named Gandalf, Frodo, Bilbo, etc. that I assumed it was an obscure requirement.

We use rivers now, based on geography and size: biggest server in India = Ganges, biggest in America = Amazon, etc.

]]> By: SP http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/03/from-firstborns-to-chewbacca-in-between-matzo-ball-soup-and-matzo-munchies/comment-page-1/#comment-192322 SP Wed, 04 Apr 2007 21:05:26 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/03/from-firstborns-to-chewbacca-in-between-matzo-ball-soup-and-matzo-munchies/#comment-192322 MIT has numerous examples of this, as you'd expect. The dial-in servers (when they had such things) used to be types of pasta, and the telnet machines were sauces- so when you'd be dialing in to penne and then telnet to pesto, for example. The Tech, the student newspaper, names various machines after famous news industry people associated with the function of that machine. So one of the design/layout machines was Paul Rand. An opinion machine was George Will. The EIC / chief reporter machine was Helen Thomas. Photo was Henri Cartier-Bresson. The executive editor machine was Ben Bradlee, and that one has a good story- he was on campus in the 90s and actually came by the office and signed the machine, "No crashes, please! -Ben Bradlee." The machine was later upgraded but I think they still have the case from the original mac that was signed. A biochemistry lab named standalone machines different DNA bases, and instrument machines amino acids where the code for the amino acid matched the function of the instrument (HPLC = Histidine, eg) MIT has numerous examples of this, as you’d expect. The dial-in servers (when they had such things) used to be types of pasta, and the telnet machines were sauces- so when you’d be dialing in to penne and then telnet to pesto, for example.
The Tech, the student newspaper, names various machines after famous news industry people associated with the function of that machine. So one of the design/layout machines was Paul Rand. An opinion machine was George Will. The EIC / chief reporter machine was Helen Thomas. Photo was Henri Cartier-Bresson. The executive editor machine was Ben Bradlee, and that one has a good story- he was on campus in the 90s and actually came by the office and signed the machine, “No crashes, please! -Ben Bradlee.” The machine was later upgraded but I think they still have the case from the original mac that was signed.
A biochemistry lab named standalone machines different DNA bases, and instrument machines amino acids where the code for the amino acid matched the function of the instrument (HPLC = Histidine, eg)

]]> By: Megan http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/03/from-firstborns-to-chewbacca-in-between-matzo-ball-soup-and-matzo-munchies/comment-page-1/#comment-192305 Megan Wed, 04 Apr 2007 18:33:25 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/03/from-firstborns-to-chewbacca-in-between-matzo-ball-soup-and-matzo-munchies/#comment-192305 I never saw it anywhere, but always wished for a cluster named for sexually transmitted diseases. I never saw it anywhere, but always wished for a cluster named for sexually transmitted diseases.

]]> By: Linkmeister http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/03/from-firstborns-to-chewbacca-in-between-matzo-ball-soup-and-matzo-munchies/comment-page-1/#comment-192304 Linkmeister Wed, 04 Apr 2007 18:20:51 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/03/from-firstborns-to-chewbacca-in-between-matzo-ball-soup-and-matzo-munchies/#comment-192304 Back in 1980 I named the sole computer the company owned (an IBM S/34) Phred. We even had its name posted outside the office door on the paper list of people who worked in there. The auditors didn't like that worth a damn. Back in 1980 I named the sole computer the company owned (an IBM S/34) Phred. We even had its name posted outside the office door on the paper list of people who worked in there. The auditors didn’t like that worth a damn.

]]> By: greensmile http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/03/from-firstborns-to-chewbacca-in-between-matzo-ball-soup-and-matzo-munchies/comment-page-1/#comment-192302 greensmile Wed, 04 Apr 2007 18:15:57 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/03/from-firstborns-to-chewbacca-in-between-matzo-ball-soup-and-matzo-munchies/#comment-192302 we named our nodes after our favorite brews. naming after characters in popular TV shows is not so common any more because few netorks are as small as the cast on a sitcom any more. BTW, Eszter, if you are ever in Boston around passover, consider yourself invited [it is a mitvah to invite and to accept] <a href="http://pithingcontest.blogspot.com/2007/04/ma-nishtanah-halailah-hazeh-mikol.html" rel="nofollow">to one of our seders</a>. we named our nodes after our favorite brews.
naming after characters in popular TV shows is not so common any more because few netorks are as small as the cast on a sitcom any more.

BTW, Eszter, if you are ever in Boston around passover, consider yourself invited [it is a mitvah to invite and to accept] to one of our seders.

]]> By: five toed sloth http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/03/from-firstborns-to-chewbacca-in-between-matzo-ball-soup-and-matzo-munchies/comment-page-1/#comment-192297 five toed sloth Wed, 04 Apr 2007 17:32:12 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/03/from-firstborns-to-chewbacca-in-between-matzo-ball-soup-and-matzo-munchies/#comment-192297 This reminds me of the Richard Powers novel <i>Plowing the Dark</i>. Short summary: a Gifted Artist comes to the Pacific Northwest to help a bunch of computer geeks develop a cutting-edge virtual reality system. When she arrives, she astounds the systems gurus by insisting on giving their rendering servers <strong>names</strong>. (I don't have the book, but Amazon Reader tells me the offending passage is around page 31.) I had to put the book away for a few days (picked it up later, and got through about half before deciding I'd been right earlier) - clearly, as the comments above show, Powers had never set foot inside a server room. This reminds me of the Richard Powers novel Plowing the Dark. Short summary: a Gifted Artist comes to the Pacific Northwest to help a bunch of computer geeks develop a cutting-edge virtual reality system. When she arrives, she astounds the systems gurus by insisting on giving their rendering servers names. (I don’t have the book, but Amazon Reader tells me the offending passage is around page 31.)

I had to put the book away for a few days (picked it up later, and got through about half before deciding I’d been right earlier) – clearly, as the comments above show, Powers had never set foot inside a server room.

]]> By: chris http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/03/from-firstborns-to-chewbacca-in-between-matzo-ball-soup-and-matzo-munchies/comment-page-1/#comment-192296 chris Wed, 04 Apr 2007 17:28:59 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/03/from-firstborns-to-chewbacca-in-between-matzo-ball-soup-and-matzo-munchies/#comment-192296 In honor of my wife's nordic heritage I used Norse mythology to name our home network's pieces. She thought it was cute until she noticed that I had named my Macs after the Aesir (Thor, Odin, and Freyr) and her PC after their advasaries, the Giants (Surtr). The router had to be named Asgard because her PC seems to try to take it down on a regular basis. In honor of my wife’s nordic heritage I used Norse mythology to name our home network’s pieces. She thought it was cute until she noticed that I had named my Macs after the Aesir (Thor, Odin, and Freyr) and her PC after their advasaries, the Giants (Surtr). The router had to be named Asgard because her PC seems to try to take it down on a regular basis.

]]> By: Matthew Gordon http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/03/from-firstborns-to-chewbacca-in-between-matzo-ball-soup-and-matzo-munchies/comment-page-1/#comment-192292 Matthew Gordon Wed, 04 Apr 2007 16:28:44 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/03/from-firstborns-to-chewbacca-in-between-matzo-ball-soup-and-matzo-munchies/#comment-192292 <i>local restaurants: casbah, merle, hecky, and lulu.</i> Mmmm, Merle's. We used to go there when I was in high school and get the "Barnyard Platter." It had all manner of BBQ'd creatures on it. local restaurants: casbah, merle, hecky, and lulu.

Mmmm, Merle’s. We used to go there when I was in high school and get the “Barnyard Platter.” It had all manner of BBQ’d creatures on it.

]]> By: eszter http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/03/from-firstborns-to-chewbacca-in-between-matzo-ball-soup-and-matzo-munchies/comment-page-1/#comment-192282 eszter Wed, 04 Apr 2007 14:42:38 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/03/from-firstborns-to-chewbacca-in-between-matzo-ball-soup-and-matzo-munchies/#comment-192282 Some neat stories here, thanks. I appreciate the dilemma of retiring a computer and retiring a name with it. It's hard to imagine having the lab without a Yoda machine, but that's my oldest computer and will probably have to go at some point. Maybe I'll start using numbers (e.g. Yoda2). Or maybe I'll just have another Yoda and no one will have to know it's a reincarnation. Some neat stories here, thanks.

I appreciate the dilemma of retiring a computer and retiring a name with it. It’s hard to imagine having the lab without a Yoda machine, but that’s my oldest computer and will probably have to go at some point. Maybe I’ll start using numbers (e.g. Yoda2). Or maybe I’ll just have another Yoda and no one will have to know it’s a reincarnation.

]]> By: Michael Mouse http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/03/from-firstborns-to-chewbacca-in-between-matzo-ball-soup-and-matzo-munchies/comment-page-1/#comment-192274 Michael Mouse Wed, 04 Apr 2007 11:50:56 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/03/from-firstborns-to-chewbacca-in-between-matzo-ball-soup-and-matzo-munchies/#comment-192274 I once named a machine 'monad', after Leibniz's metaphysical entities. The key joke was supposed to be "monads are window(s)less". Alas, the intersection of a) the set of people who understood enough philosophy and b) the set of people who understood the anti-GUI/Microsoft jibe turned out to be so small that nobody ever got it without extensive explanation. Which is never a good sign in a joke. I once named a machine ‘monad’, after Leibniz’s metaphysical entities. The key joke was supposed to be “monads are window(s)less”. Alas, the intersection of a) the set of people who understood enough philosophy and b) the set of people who understood the anti-GUI/Microsoft jibe turned out to be so small that nobody ever got it without extensive explanation. Which is never a good sign in a joke.

]]> By: bad Jim http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/03/from-firstborns-to-chewbacca-in-between-matzo-ball-soup-and-matzo-munchies/comment-page-1/#comment-192266 bad Jim Wed, 04 Apr 2007 08:47:05 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/03/from-firstborns-to-chewbacca-in-between-matzo-ball-soup-and-matzo-munchies/#comment-192266 When I was in charge of our company's network, the machines were named according their users: Gina, Elaine, Bob, Mike, Jim. It made the logs easier to read. When I was in charge of our company’s network, the machines were named according their users: Gina, Elaine, Bob, Mike, Jim. It made the logs easier to read.

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