[Unix/Internet] The unique electronic name of a computer system, used
to identify it in email, Usenet, or other forms of electronic
information interchange. The folklore interest of sitenames stems
from the creativity and humor they often display. Interpreting a
sitename is not unlike interpreting a vanity license plate; one has
to mentally unpack it, allowing for mono-case and length restrictions
and the lack of whitespace. Hacker tradition deprecates dull,
institutional-sounding names in favor of punchy, humorous, and clever
coinages (except that it is considered appropriate for the official
public gateway machine of an organization to bear the organization's
name or acronym). Mythological references, cartoon characters, animal
names, and allusions to SF or fantasy literature are probably the
most popular sources for sitenames (in roughly descending order). The
obligatory comment when discussing these is Harris's Lament: "All the
good ones are taken!" See also {network address}.
[glossary]
[Reference(s) to this entry by made by: {bang path}]