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Coq theorem prover is now called Rocq

rocq-prover.org

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Re: Coq theorem prover is now called Rocq

#21

Post by smnrchrds »

tptacek wrote: post #14

The notoriety of Coq's name is, by a long, long way, the most embarrassing message board trope on HN. For years, you couldn't run a story about Coq --- a genuinely interesting and important piece of software --- on the front page without attracting sophomoric comments about a (bad) English transliteration? is that the word? of the name. So like 4 years ago they renamed it, literally for this reason, which is embarras…

As a non-anglophone myself, I hate the fact that we have given one language so much power to dictate how every other country and language should name things. You will never find an American company changing the name of their product in the US because it sounds naughty in French. Yet here we are, a group of francophones feeling pressure to change their product's name for anglophones' sake.

Re: Coq theorem prover is now called Rocq

#22

Post by llbbdd »

p-e-w wrote: post #16
fargle wrote: post #10

why did they find the need to rename this? Am i missing something?

Because U.S. English is everything, and people want it that way, and any concern about cultural imperialism that would immediately be brought up in any other context magically doesn’t apply when Americans could possibly be offended. Everyone else has to adapt, no matter their mother tongue. Meanwhile the world’s most common VCS’s name is literally an abuse (not a misspelling of one), but only outside the US so nobody…

Practically speaking there's no reason not to centralize on the particulars of one language while the rest are in the increasingly accelerated process of dying out. Language barriers help nobody. Though it is a shame to rename this, the world needs more whimsy and penises are funny.

Re: Coq theorem prover is now called Rocq

#23

Post by adw »

smnrchrds wrote: post #21
tptacek wrote: post #14

The notoriety of Coq's name is, by a long, long way, the most embarrassing message board trope on HN. For years, you couldn't run a story about Coq --- a genuinely interesting and important piece of software --- on the front page without attracting sophomoric comments about a (bad) English transliteration? is that the word? of the name. So like 4 years ago they renamed it, literally for this reason, which is embarras…

As a non-anglophone myself, I hate the fact that we have given one language so much power to dictate how every other country and language should name things. You will never find an American company changing the name of their product in the US because it sounds naughty in French. Yet here we are, a group of francophones feeling pressure to change their product's name for anglophones' sake.

The author knew fine that it was a knob joke (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26743882). In this specific case, play stupid games, get stupid prizes; no-one is asking Le Coq Sportif to rebrand or your local bistro to stop serving coq au vin.

Re: Coq theorem prover is now called Rocq

#25

Post by jona-f »

tptacek wrote: post #14

The notoriety of Coq's name is, by a long, long way, the most embarrassing message board trope on HN. For years, you couldn't run a story about Coq --- a genuinely interesting and important piece of software --- on the front page without attracting sophomoric comments about a (bad) English transliteration? is that the word? of the name. So like 4 years ago they renamed it, literally for this reason, which is embarras…

Well yes, HN people being childish about genitalia is one thing, but ridiculous French naming schemes are another. In the french finite element package code_aster there were 2 different variables named coq_massif and massif_coq, which in the context of finite element translates to "solid beam", but seriously? I realize I'm on thin ice, dabbling in national stereotypes, but in my experience French software developers absolutely suck at naming things.

Re: Coq theorem prover is now called Rocq

#26

Post by bestouff »

adw wrote: post #23
smnrchrds wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a non-anglophone myself, I hate the fact that we have given one language so much power to dictate how every other country and language should name things. You will never find an American company changing the name of their product in the US because it sounds naughty in French. Yet here we are, a group of francophones feeling pressure to change their product's name for anglophones' sake.

The author knew fine that it was a knob joke ( https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26743882 ). In this specific case, play stupid games, get stupid prizes; no-one is asking Le Coq Sportif to rebrand or your local bistro to stop serving coq au vin.

Calling him stupid is really elevating the debate. I agree having to bow exclusively to American sensitivity without any reciprocity is infuriating.

Re: Coq theorem prover is now called Rocq

#28

Post by pseudohadamard »

smnrchrds wrote: post #21
tptacek wrote: post #14

The notoriety of Coq's name is, by a long, long way, the most embarrassing message board trope on HN. For years, you couldn't run a story about Coq --- a genuinely interesting and important piece of software --- on the front page without attracting sophomoric comments about a (bad) English transliteration? is that the word? of the name. So like 4 years ago they renamed it, literally for this reason, which is embarras…

As a non-anglophone myself, I hate the fact that we have given one language so much power to dictate how every other country and language should name things. You will never find an American company changing the name of their product in the US because it sounds naughty in French. Yet here we are, a group of francophones feeling pressure to change their product's name for anglophones' sake.

  You will never find an American company changing the name of their product in the US because it sounds naughty in French.
Counterexample: Commodore PET. Selling a computer branded as a fart in France wouldn't have gone down too well.

Re: Coq theorem prover is now called Rocq

#29

Post by adw »

bestouff wrote: post #26
adw wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The author knew fine that it was a knob joke ( https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26743882 ). In this specific case, play stupid games, get stupid prizes; no-one is asking Le Coq Sportif to rebrand or your local bistro to stop serving coq au vin.

Calling him stupid is really elevating the debate. I agree having to bow exclusively to American sensitivity without any reciprocity is infuriating.

He did a stupid thing. Doesn’t make him stupid, but the action is. (Also this is a stock phrase.)
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