Linux Format forums

bobthebob1234 · Posted: Wed May 30, 2012 6:00 pm Post subject: Stealing a name

So I am currently working on a project to administer email addresses, forwardings, domains, etc with Postfix, Dovecot and MySQL & PHP.

Now I am thinking that once finished I could release it as open source or at least provide a free download as others might find it useful and there doesn't seem to be anything like it at the moment

Now I was thinking about calling it (highly originally) phpMailAdmin, however there is already a project called that, but that hasn't seen movement since at least 2003, and any downloads I can find are broken. Is it acceptable/a good idea to steal this name for my project, or is it a better idea to call it something else?

Any ideas?

Cheers
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For certain you have to be lost to find the places that can't be found. Elseways, everyone would know where it was

Paradigm Shifter · Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 1:16 pm Posts: 84

I'd call it something else.

Aside from potential legal issues (should such arise) you'll avoid confusion on the part of the end-user. Smile

Dutch_Master · LXF regular Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2007 2:49 am Posts: 2358

+1 on a different name. Or, if you want, contact the dev's of this app and ask them what they want: if they have no further interest in continuing their original app, you may be allowed to take over instead. Still leaves end-users in confusion though Wink

(but you could solve that with an explanation on the project's webpage!)

OTOH, your question may spark a renewed interest from the dev's and you could contribute your code to the project... Idea

AndyBaxman · LXF regular Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2005 9:47 am Posts: 520

guy · Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2012 10:02 pm Post subject:

Have you thought of joining or taking over the original project and breathing new life into it? Might get you some instant publicity and possibly even save you a pile of work.

Stealing will likely earn you enemies - no publicity is bad publicity, but how robust are your cyber defence skills?
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Cheers,
Guy
The eternal help vampire

sledgehammer · Joined: Fri Jul 28, 2006 3:03 pm Posts: 44

Does the name have to be descriptive? I mean Firefox, Roundcube and Apache hardly describe their purpose.

Why not name yours after the author 'bobthebob' which can be shortened to a nice short command 'btb'

Regards