From: Bill Frantz <frantz@netcom.com>
Date: Wed, 4 Jun 1997 13:29:31 +0800
To: "Peter Trei" <cypherpunks@cyberpass.net
Subject: Re: [OFF-TOPIC] Naming systems...
In-Reply-To: <199706032014.NAA06953@rigel.cyberpass.net>
Message-ID: <v0300781eafba90c30917@[207.94.249.152]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



At 9:32 AM -0700 6/3/97, Peter Trei wrote:
>With the old Norse system, still used in Iceland, there is a tremendous
>namespace-collision problem.

There is also a namespace collapse problem in China.  They have a
patrilineal family naming convention much like the one that is common in
the USA.  However the naming system has been stable for thousands of years.
In that time, some names have died out (only girl babies).  They somewhat
avoid the associated namespace collision problem by being imaginative with
given names.

To avoid namespace collapse, you need to continually introduce new names.
If Iceland didn't limit given names, the problem would go away.  For
example: I know a Catnip Echoridge Fredrick.  I bet Catnipsson would expand
the namespace.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bill Frantz       | The Internet was designed  | Periwinkle -- Consulting
(408)356-8506     | to protect the free world  | 16345 Englewood Ave.
frantz@netcom.com | from hostile governments.  | Los Gatos, CA 95032, USA