Code names…how stupid! Or so I used to think. Naming servers fun names like Greek gods (ergh, ok that’s not really fun it’s just tired) or food (spaghetti, noodle, wasabi) seemed like good fun but not that useful. I didn’t really understand what project codenames (like Whistler, Yukon and Whidbey for Microsoft software releases) were for, either.
Well now I’ve come to my senses, and I realise that it’s for communication, fool! When you work in a team, you need some name to refer to things by. Saying “the USA server” works OK, until you have two servers — then you need to say “the new USA server” or “the USA server with client X on it”. Or a software project like a web service to link two systems, you can call it “the inter-department synchronisation project” but that gets a bit tedious when you’re trying to refer to it several times in a conversation. It’s easier to say “Project Nimrod,” named after the guy who designed the database of the legacy system you’re trying to integrate with, or call a server “Maggot” after the virtual infestation of crufty rubbish that clogs its hard disks.
The important thing is that you have some easy to remember handle to use to share with other people what object or idea you’re talking about. It could be thought of as a level of abstraction, a bit like a variable name in software source code. Actual product names are thought out carefully as a sound, a word or a few words that evoke some idea or thought so that you feel as though the product will do what you want it to and improve your life. All a codename has to do is be a handle you can pass around to refer to something. Unlike in software, it doesn’t need to be something that helps you remember what it’s referring to (eg totalShareholderDebt), it just has to be memorable (eg Project Enron).
So next time something new comes around, I’m not gonna feel bad about giving it some stupid but memorable name. Here’s my code name tips:
- it doesn’t matter what the name is, but it’s better if it’s something with a sense of humour
- using a stupid name is a lot easier than trying to think of how to describe whatever it is you’re referring to every time
- it’s fun, and without fun, life sucks
Here ends today’s lesson.