Lambda the Ultimate

This is only a problem if the language becomes successful, and it would be a nice problem to have. Besides, make is an outdated build system, and the clash would at least provide for some publicity.

Publicity gained from namespace clashes only helps if you're in the top K search results for relatively small values of K. I think collisions become less of a problem if your language is successful, not more of a problem.

Perl and Forth are misspellings of a dictionary term. Go and Swift (and Make) are the dictionary spellings. Erlang is a sounded out (English) made up word.

I get the feeling Erlang is the best for search engines, but Perl and Forth work too. I have no idea why a search company named their language Go. I figure you are pretty safe if you can register the .com or .org for the name you want.

Actually, Forth is a dictionary term (as in "go forth"), and Erlang was a person's name.

didn't even think of "go forth" and I had never heard the name. I guess I should have gone with Fortran as the example.

In fact, although "forth" is obviously an English word, the name was actually derived as a misspelling of "fourth." According to Chuck Moore via Wikipedia:

Forth is so named because in 1968 "the file holding the interpreter was labeled FOURTH, for 4th (next) generation software—but the IBM 1130 operating system restricted file names to 5 characters."

So I think it was a very good example, actually.

clean language

I dubbed my own language "Hi". I forgot why, but an equally bad choice. Anyone who can still find the sources gets a virtual cookie.

Totally serious. I want to tie in with the maker movement, and Make is a very direct way to do that.

Naming a new language 'make' is just asking for confusion with the existing Unix utility and make files, in addition to difficulty with search engines. But you could could easily tie in with the Maker culture in other ways. Consider the name 'Faire', for example, or adding a word like 'MakerSpace'. Or you could try for 'Makr' (which is certainly in use, but not much as a language) or 'Mkur' or similar. Just brainstorm up a list with a few friends, then test each one on a few search engines that you don't usually use.

Make is just such a good name, wasted on such an old tool. How many people are disappointed when the magazine "Make" has nothing to do with build management?

I'm not interested in SEO at this point.

Whether 'Make' is a good PL name is a question of taste. I think it's an awful name for a language, but not a bad command word.

With people writing so much about build management, including a bunch of "... considered harmful" titles, if there were a build management magazine it could be hoped that " ... the ultimate ___" would enter the conversation, along with "the next 700 build systems", etc.

Some say "movement", others think it's mainly a "brand".

I'd put myself in the latter category along with the owners of related trademarks. So: careful.

Edit:

p.s.: Call it O'Reilly! :-)

Not to mention "make" is a synonym for "brand" in its noun form!

You should call it:

Makr

Of course, as a Microsoft employee, you may be contractually obligated to name it "Visual Makr Plus, Ultimate Enterprise Edition Pro".

How about Make Live?

I was joking, but Make Live is actually a very good name, especially due to the live coding connection.

Another joke is hiding in the subtext.

I had utterly forgotten about the algorithmic numbering-- that's a great analogy.

The nicknaming wouldn't be a problem as long as language names were generally chosen for distinctness within domains of discourse. E.g., don't create another "Make" that does build automation. That way, the name/number distinction largely becomes relevant in non-distinguished domains, e.g. global web searches.

Crawlers would have to get a little savvy, though, as most people wouldn't use the full-address in casual discussion, but you'd want search to distinguish them.

I wonder what number PL/1 would have?

    "Crash, teach me to be funny on purpose," Dex begged.
    Crash sighed. "I can, but your basic problem is you're not funny."
    "I know," Dex granted. "But maybe I can learn a simple gimmick."
    "Okay, here's any easy one," Crash offered. "Combine two things that don't go together, but make it work anyway. Apply an analogy where it doesn't belong. It resembles reasoning of normal people, and thus tastes like parody."
    "Drawing a blank here. I need an example," Dex closed his eyes.
    "Okay, what if programming languages had social security numbers?" Crash hypothesized.
    "But that makes no sense," Dex objected.
    "Exactly," Crash agreed. "Then see what happens in a story."

    A programming language gets in a long line to register for classes, stomach growling in hunger by the time line's head is reached. A girl wearing a name-tag reading 'Nan' smiles perfunctorily and takes his ID card.
    "What's your social?" Nan asks.
    "I don't have a social security number," the language replies.
    "No social?" Nan looks incredulous. "What a big fat loser. You want that line over there. Shoo, you're holding up the line."
    "What kind of name is Nan, anyway?" the PL tosses back as a parting shot. "Did your parents divide by zero?"
    "Floating point humor," Nan sniffs.

"Deceased Mathematicians"

*unlurks
Someone has to say it...
That's a sweet name for a band.
*relurks