From: Hal Fulton <hal9000@...>
Date: 2003-10-28T01:46:46+09:00
Subject: Re: Rubyx logo idea

Andrew Walrond wrote:

> Well I was just looking for an aesthetic graphic to use as a larger backround 
> graphic over which I could superimpose 'rubyx' in smaller English. To 
> japanese readers, it would suggest that rubyx was a powerful operating 
> system. To the rest of us, it would merely be pretty ;)
> 
> Do you see what I'm getting at? Does it work? or would a japanese reader just 
> think "Ka? what the hell is that all about?"

I understand where you're coming from. :) I've read some very amusing
"Engrish" and I am sure that any effort I made to use Japanese would
be far more (am|conf)using.

Actually I used a "Ruby" graphic in the Ruby.shop (see rubyhacker.com)
for similar esthetic reasons. And someone pointed out that many people
seeing that symbol would think immediately of a certain variety of
apple. I left it there anyway. It still looks cool to non-Japanese
speakers. :)

> Perhaps you could suggest suitable alternatives? Much as I'd love to learn 
> japanese, I have to consider it overkill as a solution for the current 
> problem domain ;)

Learning Japanese is on my lifetime to-do list, along with
learning piano, violin, Esperanto, Latin, and Lisp. <sigh>
Life is so short...

Hal