Re: Informal pronunciation poll

On 8/30/07, Robert Treat <xzilla(at)users(dot)sourceforge(dot)net> wrote:
> On Thursday 30 August 2007 15:21, Ron Mayer wrote:
> > I just asked a few people unfamiliar with the project
> > how they'd expect "PostgreSQL" would be pronounced,
> > and all agreed that they'd expect "Postgre Sickle".
> >
>
> I'd question your audience. Anyone familiar with SQL would not come to that
> conclusion. I know of know one who refers to ms product as "sickle server".
> (Well, no one who hasn't had to DBA it for a few months)
>
> > I'd be interested to see others perform such a poll
> > with people in their workplaces/homes/wherever and
> > see what results they get.
> >
>
> Here's the results of people familiar with the community.
> http://www.postgresql.org/community/survey.33
>
> >
> > I think the very worst part about the current situation
> > is that there's a community of pronunciation/spelling-police
> > who feel a need to "correct" anyone who says or spells
> > the obvious implied short form of "postgre". Regardless
> > of whether the Postgres or PostgreSQL wins the debate, I
> > suspect that as long as PostgreSQL's are around Postgre
> > will be around as well.
> >
>
> Agreed. So let's start calling out the people who are anal about it.
>
> > To avoid having having most new user's introduction's
> > to the project (including CEOs, etc) being the "you're
> > pronouncing it wrong" rant, would it make sense to
> > formally announce that "postgre" is officially
> > acceptable even though no one likes how it sounds?
> > (It's not like anyone likes how "QL" sounds either.)
> >
>
> It's worth noting that even postgre produces different announciations itself.
>
> > This requires zero changes in our usage/logos/etc
> > and has no work besides one sentence in the FAQ - but
> > will probably cut down on the bad-first-impressions
> > that the pronunciation-police inflict on new users.
> >
>
> Officially you pronounce it "postgres-q-l" but many people refer to it as
> postgres or postgre. We recommend you call it "Postgres".
>
> ?
>
> --
> Robert Treat
> Build A Brighter LAMP :: Linux Apache {middleware} PostgreSQL

MySQL used to say (and perhaps still does) that "My-S-Q-L" was the
preferred pronunciation but please don't go around correcting folks
that choose to pronounce it differently. My own vote is that the name
should remain unchanged largely because PostgreSQL is, IMHO, the
nicest looking of the available options. I have no qualms about
pronouncing it "postgres" despite the fact that rarely does one find a
silent QL construct in English, and I can probably learn not to cringe
when I hear "postgre" and other variants.

- eggyknap