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NetBSD Chooses New Logo
jschauma writes "Live from EuroBSDCon 2004: The NetBSD Project announces its new logo. The logo was selected out of over 400 submissions in an albeit lengthy process, where the developers considered various important aspects of a new identifying logo. See the official logo contest announcement (to refresh your memory) and the official press release."
The new logo certainly has more corporate appeal, and its simplicity also allows different colors to be used, which means easier to place on different color background.
Coupled with a trademark, this might enough for people to push it to PHB.
Rock that crushes, Paper & Scissors that don't matter.
I like it. Clean and attractive. Maybe someone can get that guy to design a new logo/mascot for linux, something other than that annoying-looking penguin.
A month ago this item appeared in the NetBSD Quarterly Status Report:
What will the favicon look like? The logo is nice, but work will have to be done to simplify the fine elements of the design, so that they don't turn to fuzz in small versions of the image.
Personally I am very disapointed ... ...
The logo is not cool, not artistic, not insipiring, not anything
I really like what OpenBSD did, they know how to play with their logo, I believe this speaks a lot about the attitude of the people behind the project.
And it says, that they like and want to have fun!
NetBSD have made a terrible statement by this logo, this logo declares in my opinion that the NetBSD is not about fun anymore!
I seriously can't imagine a worst logo
Finally, proof that the OSS community can produce something as generic, uninspired, and forgettable as even the best corporate marketroids. I can't wait for the upcoming Apache Mission Statement contest. ("embiggens a dynamic paradigm in scalable infotecture")
Seriously, is this the best that was submitted? Not trying to flame, but the best feature of a logo is a unique image that's easily remembered. Looking at the NetBSD logo I'm not sure if I'm installing an OS or playing in a CTF clan.
Note to the judges, If the text in your logo needs to be readable to identify your product, it's not a good logo.
The Revolution. Now available as a convienent six tape series from PBS.
I'm sorry, but it's really hard to get excited about that logo. Seems to me they wanted to be so neutral, so inoffensive to everyone in the entire world that they picked a logo that means nothing.
That sound you hear is millions of geeks the world over saying "meh".
I rarely criticize things I don't care about.
It has been coming for a while now - the end of the anarchy - the end of the tightly knit communities of hackers with criminal records. Like the commercialization of 60's leftism through a lucrative popular culture, the free software movement is starting to lose its roots. The flag is too polished. It's too professional. It basically makes me think that I am looking at evilcorp.com. This is not what free software is supposed to be about - it's supposed to be about things like EFF, stallman, nogifs, sokol, etc - not about appealing to corporate monery mongering beauracrats. It's perfectly fine with me if it stays fringe - in fact, the downfall of freebsd is its mainstream-ness . . .
I'm bummed that they didn't pick one of mine. But at least the flag has a creative idea behind it -- namely, keeping the tradition of the original logo alive a little bit.
Oh well. If any developers would like to claim those logos I made, I have SVG (and EPS, I think) versions lying around. I can send them on, possibly with a project name added in. There is a link at the bottom of my logo page that reads, "contact the webmaster." Use that if you're interested.
My Greasemonkey scripts for Digg &
Score: 1, Funny.
Why is this rated funny? I completely agree. I'm not American myself, but I always did think that the old NetBSD logo trivialized something so important and meaningful, ofcourse no bad intentions were ever meant by it, but I never appreciated it.
A little plain?? Logos are supposed to be plain. Take a moment and look at some memorable logos. They're generally very, very, simple. This makes them easy to associate with the product. It helps build the brand.
If only more Free Software projects would follow the lead of NetBSD. There are a lot of decent logos out there too but by and large Free Software logos constitute strong evidence that Graphic Design is indeed a valuable skill. Not as valuable as coding, but still valuable.
Specifically, it's not about technical prowess in using your favourite graphics program, it's about being able to come up with strong ideas and express them strikingly, visually.
Not that I'm any good at it...
Yours Sincerely, Michael.
Whilst it's good that the NetBSD people have recognised the need for a proper logo, my impressions are...
It looks slightly dated, like something from the late 80s/early 90s when corporate types were going for 'flowing' logos with gentle curves. The typeface and colours also contribute to this impression.
It's also fairly boring. If they decide to have a mascot as well, this won't such a problem though; logo for corporate stuff, mascot for the fans and developers.
In fact, I wish someone would design a proper (generic) Linux logo. Specifically, one that incorporates the word 'Linux' and could be used without fear of looking unprofessional. Tux seems to have become logo (as well as mascot) by default, but is not really suitable for more serious use.
Of course, Tux would remain as the mascot (although personally disliking Tux, I appreciate that I'm probably in the minority). 'Serious' literature would use the Linux logo, everyone else could use either- or both- as they pleased.
"Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
And then while they might insist this is "just orange", what they did pick looks awfully similar to a red flag, raising the specter of all the atrocities that have been committed in its name. BTW Mozilla ditched the red star for this very reason. Neutral? Inoffensive? How "good" intentions often go terribly wrong (if the ones you name ever really were more than epitomes of "political correctness")... And moreover, this one's already taken.
...do they still stick to the daemon as maskott? Cause i rather like to stick to my 30cm daemon i have on my desk than to an orange/grey flag that looks like the latest advertising campaing for generic viagra...
Look, this thing is totally safe! Built it myself, you know. You just press that button like this and then turn that lev
Clean, simple, and tasteful. :)
Also notice that the flag is the surviving element from the old logo - representing the strain to "conquer" new platforms
Choosing a logo with these qualities could be *much* harder than it seems... It's definitely a good pick.
Hmmm, you do know that the famous flag raising photo was *staged*? You know that, don't you?
Don't blame me, I didn't vote for either of them!
Time for FreeBSD to do the same. FreeBSD needs something other than a 20-year-old drawing of a devil to appeal to the masses, right?
Some Soldier you are! If you were better educated, you would know those "World War II Soldiers" were infact U.S. Marines.
If I understand what you are saying then, according to you, a US Marine is not a soldier. I disagree with this. I know they are Marines.
your only a guardsman, sorry to hold you to higher standards
I don't know what standards you use but I am required to maintain the same level of readiness and profeciency as the active duty Air Force (but don't get to practice every day), not to mention that every day I work someone trusts me, in part, with his or her life. I believe that those are pretty high standards.
my Grandfather was *ON* that island
I hold your grandfather and all the men and women who fought in that war in the highest respect. My grandfater fought in Europe.
Anyways, the previous logo was meant to convey the fact that NetBSD has "conquered" almost all hardware; nothing more. Don't be an idiot.
This is something that I never new. So that would make me not an idiot, but ignorant. I appreciate you educating me but find your tone to be hightly disrespectful. And that is a shame.
I was going to moderate you as flambait, but I felt compelled to set you straight
I did not intend to draw flames, I just stated my opinion. I didn't realize this was such a hot topic for so many people (well, at least one person). Since I did not blatently attack anyone for no reason and with no factual backing I fail to see how my comment was flamebait. Just because you choose to respond in an inflamatory manner does not make my comment flaimbait. I just felt compelled to set you straight.
Imagination is more important than knowledge. --Albert Einstein
It was rated funny to keep you from getting as much karma from it.
They didn't want you to get karma because it was a knee-jerk reaction on your part, and a rather stupid one at that. I suppose the mods don't care if you LOSE respect for the community.
One can only be offended if one chooses to be so. Perhaps you should simply lighten up and take it at face value. It wasn't meant as a belittling of that accomplishment in any way, shape or form.
But then again, that's America for you. BTW, I'm offended that you didn't know the real facts of the marines raising the flag, miket. I am 'loosing' respect for you. (that was irony coupled with sarcasm, for those of you who didn't get it)
My blog. Good stuff (when I remember to update it). Read it.
Tolerant? Of what, idiocy? Oh wait, this is Slashdot, where idiocy is required. Anyway I am definitely not tolerant of your finding the staged photo of raising the flag at Iwo Jima sacred, and somehow turning that into an attack on the NetBSD logo. The "funny" mod is appropriate, 'cause how can that be taken seriously?
we will end no whine before its time
I have to say that I like the logo. It meets my one requirement for a good logo, and in spades:
A good logo can be recognizably spraypainted with one template.
In other words, the logo is simple enough that it doesn't require any serious work to put it on things, it can be read from close up or afar, its not overly complicated and it looks unique. And this logo fits that requirement quite nicely.
I also like the placement of the flag, the diag it makes with the text really gives the logo some oomph.
The dream reveals the reality which conception lags behind. That is the horror of life- the terror of art. -Franz Kafka
It's a perfect logo. People bashing it either don't have good taste or don't know what a logo is.