[Hamara-devel] name challenge - alternate names for 'Mozilla Firefox' and 'Browser'

[Jonas Smedegaard]

[replying only to -devel list: cross-posting is a mess!]

Quoting shirish (2015-11-05 19:57:24)
> in-line :-

Sure you write inline - I find that needless to mention.

You may argue that some otherwise miss your bottom comments, but a 
better way to avoid that is to remove excess quoted text - preserve only 
the parts you are commenting on.


> On 11/06/2015 12:01 AM, Jonas Smedegaard wrote:
>> I suggest that you take the iceweasel source package and instead of 
>> forking it you extend it to additionally build an iceweasel-light 
>> binary package.
[...]
> a. Hamara would like to have its own branding to the browser which 
> means logo, mascot the works. Now if we use Iceweasel, we would be 
> forced to work within the constraints of the logo that we (as in 
> Debian) already has as well as the mascot, although there has been 
> quite some creative logos and mascot interpretations on the iceweasel 
> logo as well.

I believe you are mistaken there: Leaving the icewasel package as-is you 
can create a branding package which - in addition to the classic stuff 
like desktop background images in various sizes and formats - installs 
alternate icons and other files and at install time tells dpkg-divert to 
take over original files' locations by symlinking.

This kind of detailed rebranding is an area not yet explored much among 
Debian Pure Blends, but something that Siri and I have an interest in 
working on: We were in Peru this summer collaborating with friend there 
on a similar local projecy for primary schools throughout Peru, also 
needing strong local branding rather than a generic Debian look'n'feel.

Siri and I have formed the Debian design team intended to develop 
guidelines for designers to use when (re)branding Debian.  We would 
obviously love input from designers in Hamara both on clever tricks you 
are using and challenges you have no solution for.

Design team Homepage: https://wiki.debian.org/Design


> b. One of the other things that is also possible is there is 
> possibility of confusion in Europe as well as the smallish chunk in 
> India which has a debian user-base.
> 
> Having a different name and mascot side-steps the above issue easily.

If you are referring to the confusion that Iceweasel is same as Firefox, 
then we can thank Mozilla for that - but I disagree completely that 
inventing yet another name can help minimize that confusion.  On the 
contrary that leads to even more confusion, and this time without 
Trademark policy to blame, only Hamara wanting to pick a name is to 
blame there.


> c. Also what of if at some point in time, we want to move even further 
> away from iceweasel than what it is today.

That's hypothetical.  What if the moon really is made of cheese - we'd 
better prepare for that possibility right from the start, no?

If you wanna fork just to make sure an eventual later need to fork is as 
smooth as possible, then fork away.  But don't put that up as a reason 
for forking - it is not a reason.


>> I am sure others worldwide could have great benefit from a 
>> lightweight flavor of the Iceweasel package which worked as a drop-in 
>> replacement - i.e. worked seamlessly with all plugins and other hooks 
>> made for iceweasel (except obviously the parts you've avoided, which 
>> could be handled by Breaks: or Conflicts: in the binary package), and 
>> was as well maintained regarding security updates as Iceweasel is.
>>
> 
> True, although another idea that I had was why not have netsurf as 
> well which was featured in p.d.o. recently as well.

A slew of lightweight web browsers exist already, some of which are in 
Debian - as I also pointed out as my very first post today on your IRC 
channel, spawning the discussion on lightweight Mozilla build:

> for less bloated web browser, past attempts indicates it is difficult 
> to sustain long-term a fork of Mozilla code - working with Webkit as 
> basis seems easier to sustain
> 
> I dearly recommend to support existing attempts at lightweight 
> browsers instead of creating your own unique fork


 - Jonas

-- 
 * Jonas Smedegaard - idealist & Internet-arkitekt
 * Tlf.: +45 40843136  Website: http://dr.jones.dk/

 [x] quote me freely  [ ] ask before reusing  [ ] keep private
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