Re: [Caml-list] ocaml complexity

[Xavier Leroy <Xavier.Leroy@inria.fr>]

Tore Lund <tl001@online.no> writes:
 
> The one thing that definitely needs fixing if OCaml is ever to catch on
> is the *name*.  For my own part it took some time before my brain even
> registered that there was such a language, and I am sure this was due to
> the unwieldy abbreviation "OCaml" - it looks like a typo or line noise
> the first time you see it.

I think all the published documents (manuals, the Web site, the
O'Reilly book) use the official name, which is "Objective Caml"
(pronounced: "Objective Camel").  I often use "Caml" for short when
talking about the core language.

The "OCaml" name that you dislike so much just spread among users by
itself, in particular on this mailing list, but there is not much that
we can do about it...  (Granted, the compiler commands are called
"ocaml<something>", but that was needed to distinguish them from the
"caml<something>" commands of Caml Light...)

> > One might choose a new name like "Milner", "Weis", "Leroy", etc.  But if
> > rocking the boat that much is not acceptable, just "Caml" would be much
> > better than "OCaml", and "Camel" would be even better.

I'll pass on "Leroy" -- flattery will get you nowhere :-)  Of course,
"Caml" is fine.  "Camel" is the pronounciation, but we're quite fond
of the "ml" spelling.

> Earlier, when asked `which language do you use for it?' I used to
> answer `Objective See Ay Em Ell', but people often thought I meant
> `Objective C', then :-) Now I say `Objective Camel'.  It means a bit
> more to them than just `Oh-Camel'.  Unfortunately, they get the
> impression that it's some obscure object oriented language like
> Smalltalk now, so I add `a functional language'.

And then it gives them the impression that it's some obscure
functional language like Haskell? :-) :-)

> When I typed the URL
> caml.inria.fr into the browser of a British coworker of mine, he
> pointed at the `fr' part and shouted `NO, NO!  UNACCEPTABLE!!' :-)

Meanwhile, Blair is manoeuvering the British to switch to the Euro, so
I'm not too concerned here...  Still, you can use www.ocaml.org instead;
your coworker will like it more, but Tore will like it less.
Not www.caml.org to my great regret, since the caml.org domain is
registered already by the "Cruel Angel Mailing List" (no kidding)...

- Xavier Leroy
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