Subject: [idn] AMC-ACE-Z has a name: Punycode

From: "Adam M. Costello" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 6 Jan 2002 23:30:28 +0000

AMC-ACE-Z, which has always been a working name, now has a real name:
Punycode.  I just submitted draft-ietf-idn-punycode-00.txt.  It can be
obtained now from:

http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~amc/idn/

Why "Punycode"?  It rhymes with Unicode and is intended to encode
Unicode strings.  It is "puny" in three senses:  The repertoire of
characters used in the encoded strings is small, the encoded strings are
short, and the implementation is small.

No changes have been made to the algorithm.  Here is a summary of
changes since the previous draft:

  * AMC-ACE-Z has been renamed to Punycode.

  * Usage of the term "ACE" has been made consistent with the latest
    IDNA draft.

  * An incorrect claim regarding the conditions under which the encoded
    string can begin with a hyphen has been corrected.

  * A paragraph has been added to section 6.4 (Alternative methods for
    handling overflow) pointing out that if the Punycode decoder is used
    only inside the ToUnicode operation (see the IDNA draft), then it
    doesn't need to check for overflow.  (It also explains why.)

  * A Disclaimer and License appendix has been added:

    Regarding this entire document or any portion of it (including
    the pseudocode and C code), the author makes no guarantees and
    is not responsible for any damage resulting from its use.  The
    author grants irrevocable permission to anyone to use, modify,
    and distribute it in any way that does not diminish the rights
    of anyone else to use, modify, and distribute it, provided that
    redistributed derivative works do not contain misleading author or
    version information.  Derivative works need not be licensed under
    similar terms.

  * In the sample implementation the mixed-case annotation handling in
    the encoder has changed slightly.  The previous version, when faced
    with ASCII letters inconsistent with their case flags, would ignore
    the case flags and copy the letters verbatim.  The present version
    honors the case flags and forces the letters to the case indicated
    by the flag.  The new behavior is more useful and more intuitive.
    The change has no effect when the input is nameprepped (already
    lowercase) and the case flags are absent (all unset == lowercase).

AMC

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From: tedd <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2002 09:21:28 -0500

>short, and the implementation is small.

Really?

Naming things (i.e., children, cars, algorithms) should be well 
thought out with respect to how they are to be received. For example, 
General Motors introduced the Chevy "Nova" in South America, it was 
apparently unaware that "no va" meant locally "it won't go" and found 
poor sales. Duh.

Is "Punycode" really the name what you want to reflect the end-result 
of this groups work effort? For example:

Puny -- meaning of inferior size, strength, or significance; weak; sickly; ill

The inference certainly doesn't instill a feeling of strength and 
significance regardless of the competence of the algorithm.

Additionally, have you thought about what the industry might make of 
it, nicknames such as:

Funnycode, Ponycode, Pcode

All, of which I would suggest to you does not present the work done 
on this in the best light.

IMO, the inference of a name means something -- and it should be 
considered. Even Microsoft has not been able to overcome the "small 
and limp" inference in some circles. Then again, maybe what others 
think about what this group has done shouldn't be a concern for this 
group? I don't know, that's your call.

On the other hand, it does rhyme with Unicode...

My $0.02

tedd

-- 
http://sperling.com

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From: Paul Hoffman / IMC <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2002 10:46:52 -0800

With all due respect, you have not spent much time in the IETF. It is 
a long-standing practice to inject a bit of humor into the naming of 
some of our work items. A quick scan of the IETF Working Group names 
at <http://www.ietf.org/html.charters/wg-dir.html> should give you an 
idea about this. Punycode seems fine.

--Paul Hoffman, Director
--Internet Mail Consortium

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From: Paul Hoffman / IMC <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2002 11:39:47 -0800

>http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~amc/idn/

Adam, I hope you turned in something with a different format than 
what is on your website. The headers for an Internet Draft need to be 
pretty exact...

--Paul Hoffman, Director

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From: "Adam M. Costello" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2002 01:41:44 +0000

Paul Hoffman / IMC <[email-masked]> wrote:

> Adam, I hope you turned in something with a different format than what
> is on your website.

Yes, I have a script that provides the boilerplate and pagination.

tedd <[email-masked]> wrote:

> of this groups work effort?

I like the name.

Note that only techies will even hear of Punycode (and Nameprep).  Most
people will speak of ACE.  The IDNA document uses the term ACE all over
the place, but the references to Punycode and Nameprep are buried in the
steps of ToASCII and ToUnicode.  ACE is what you get by applying ToASCII
(which has several steps including Nameprep and Punycode).

> Puny -- meaning of inferior size, strength, or significance; weak;

ace: a serve that an opponent fails to touch; a hole in one; a pilot who
has brought down five enemy aircraft; one who excels at something

Feel better?  :)

AMC

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From: tedd <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2002 10:49:23 -0500

>>  of this groups work effort?

Good -- I'm glad you do.

>(which has several steps including Nameprep and Punycode).

ACE is the end result and Nameprep and Punycode, while different, are 
contributory. Okay, so outside of me, only techies will ever hear of 
the details and I'll keep those secret.

>has brought down five enemy aircraft; one who excels at something

It's not my feelings that matter. If it don't brother you and the 
rest of the idn, then there's no problem. I was just suggesting 
considerations that may reside outside of the idn group. Please 
excuse my business experience, from my perspective -- perception 
matters. If you don't want to capitalize on that, or don't think it's 
an issue, then that's fine. It was only an observation and subsequent 
suggestion from someone outside your circle.

tedd
-- 
http://sperling.com