Blog /Server Naming Contest

June 28, 2009 19:16 +0000  |  Fun Stuff Geek Stuff 10

The optimist in me would like to point out that my aforementioned stupidity regarding my toasting of Serenity has an upside: in the process of rebuilding my network and moving services around, I was able to rename all of the machines to conform to my new naming convention: famous Canadians.

So here's the list:

  • Dallaire (gateway and firewall) - Roméo Dallaire is a Canadian senator, humanitarian, author and retired general best known for his work as Peacekeeper in Rwanda during the genocide.
  • Trudeau (web, dns, imaps and fileserver) - Pierre Elliott Trudeau brought us our Constitution, our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, was a champion of national Unity and had a pair of big brass ones when it came to doing what he knew was right, opposition be damned. He is my favourite Prime Minister.
  • Douglas (laptop) - Tommy Douglas was the founder of Canada's nationalised health care system as well as the NDP. Champion for a range of socialist causes, he was depicted as a rebel in the CBC's Greatest Canadian series, I felt it appropriate that he get the laptop :-)
  • May (desktop) - Elizabeth May is a long time environmental activist and the present leader of the Green Party of Canada and the primary reason that I'm a supporter. She is all kinds of awesome.
  • Geist (my ps3) - Michael Geist is the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-Commerce Law at the University of Ottawa. He's a Canada's #1 copyright reform advocate, and I couldn't resist the irony of attaching his name to a Sony product.

Now here's the thing. The last two people are not nearly as strong as the first three. I mean, don't get me wrong, May and Geist are awesome people, but I feel as though the both of them haven't really done enough to be compared to the other three. I'd like to hear a list of suggestions for different names, hopefully related to their function if possible.

There are also 3 more computers on their way (low-watt replacements for Trudeau) so while one of them will still bear the Trudeau name (the webserver), there are essentially 4 machines up for naming rights:

  • A domain server / DHCP server
  • A fileserver
  • My desktop (gaming, movies & development)
  • My PS3

So here's where you come in: I want a list of names to use for the above. Tell me why your Canadian is a good choice: Riel, Pearson, McClung, whomever you like, but tell me why. I'd also like to have some women in the mix if possible -- it just feels kinda weird to have all my machines be male :-)

Comments

noreen
28 Jun 2009, 9:11 p.m.  | 

As per our conversation since your server went down while I was trying to submit this info (and I'm sorry dude, not retyping the paragraphs again)

Douglas Jung - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Jung

Louise McKinney ("Louise") - http://www.abheritage.ca/famous5/achievements/louise_mckinney.html

Nellie McClung ("Nellie") - http://www.mta.ca/about_canada/study_guide/famous_women/nellie_mcclung.html

Melanie
28 Jun 2009, 10 p.m.  | 

I'll precede this by saying that I think you should name your computers after Canadians who have made notable accomplishments, regardless of gender. and now, my suggestions!

Elizabeth Bagshaw. She was one of the first female doctors in Canada, and served as Medical Director to Canada's first birth control clinic, until she retired at 95(!). There's an elementary school named after her in Hamilton, ON, and a medical clinic named after her here in BC.

Roberta Bondar. She was Canada's first female astronaut, and the first woman in space. There are five public schools named after her, in Canada.

Nellie McClung. She and four other Canadian women were known as the Famous Five, and were responsible for getting the government to recognize women as "persons" under the law. She was also largely responsible for ensuring the Manitoba was the first provinces to give women the vote. On the down side, she also campaigned for the sterilization of people considered "simple-minded".

Henry Morgentaler. An activist in the field of abortion rights for women, he performed abortions when it was not legal to do so, and has fought numerous legal battles to win women the right to safe and legal abortions in Canada. Last year he was named to the Order of Canada for his activism work, to much much protest from others in the order.

Roméo Dallaire. Canadian peacekeeper who served in Rwanda and is noted for his efforts to stop the Rwandan genocide. Dallaire is personally credited with saving the lives of about 32,000 people in Rwanada!

Big Bear. Leader of the Cree people around 1860, he was also an activist for the autonomy and independence of the Cree people.

Terry Fox. An athlete and a humanitarian. He attempted a coast to coast run across Canada to raise money for Cancer research; he did this with one prosthetic leg.

Steve Fonyo. Lost a leg to cancer at age 12 and later ran his own "Journey of Hope" across Canada. In Fonyo's case, though, he completed his run.

Sir Sanford Fleming. He invented standard time zones(!) and the Canadian postage stamp! He also engineered most of the Canadian Pacific Railway.

Joe Shuster. Co-creater of Superman. :)

Angela
29 Jun 2009, 2:14 a.m.  | 

I'm a fan of McClung, and Melanie beat me to Bondar. Roberta Bondar was more than just an astronaut - she's an accomplished scientist and all-round genius. :) Or how about Jeanne Sauvé. She was Canada's first female Governor General and former journalist with the CBC. Or speaking of journalists from the CBC, how about Barbara Frum or Knowlton Nash? Hmm, I'll have to think of more...

Melanie
1 Jul 2009, 5:50 p.m.  | 

wow, I just noticed that I suggested someone you already have. Go team Melanie!

Pavel Zaitsev
2 Jul 2009, midnight  | 

Whopper
Jarvis
V.I.K.I.
Euclid
Deep Thought
Joshua
2501

... etc
Guess the sequence! :-P

Pavel Zaitsev
2 Jul 2009, 12:01 a.m.  | 

Whopper
Jarvis
V.I.K.I.
Euclid
Deep Thought
Joshua
2501

... etc
Guess the sequence! :-P

Daniel
2 Jul 2009, 6:51 a.m.  | 

No idea. Apparently, I'm short on my nerd cred this week. Care to help me out? :-)

Angela Day
17 Jul 2009, 12:19 a.m.  | 

So? Final names? :)

Daniel
17 Jul 2009, 12:37 a.m.  | 

I'm still thinking about it actually. I wasn't too fond of any of the names that came up and this is kind of a big deal :-P Actually I was talking with Melanie and we thought that I'd switch the theme to Great politicians, not just Canadians, though Trudeau and Douglas would stay.

I'm still not sure. I'm feeling rather indecisive on this ;-)

noreen
20 Jul 2009, 8:32 a.m.  | 

just for fun, i propose you name it "Dr. Horrible"

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