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Google Under Fire For Calling Their Language "Go"

Norsefire writes "Since releasing the 'Go' programming language on Tuesday, Google has been under fire for using the same name as another programming language that was first publicly documented in 2003. 'Go!' was created by Francis McCabe and Keith Clark. McCabe published a book about the language in 2007, and he is not happy. He told InformationWeek in an email: 'I do not have a trademark on my language. It was intended as a somewhat non-commercial language in the tradition of logic programming languages. It is in the tradition of languages like Prolog. In particular, my motivation was bringing some of the discipline of software engineering to logic programming.'"

9 of 512 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Go! by msh104 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Even more funny is the fact that they hosting their language on code.google.com
    Perhaps we shouldn't worry that much about them harvesting our data after all?

  2. I said it yesterday, but... by LaminatorX · · Score: 5, Funny

    Two "Go"'s considered harmful.

  3. Google should rename Go to Issue 9 by Procasinator · · Score: 5, Interesting

    This was reported by the author in Issue 9. There have been suggestions to rename the language to Issue 9 - I like it.

  4. Re:So? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Some things are ethically questionable even when there is no legal problem involved. A concept often forgotten in the corporate world.

  5. Re:Go! by iamhassi · · Score: 5, Funny

    from the article:

    There once was a language named "Go"
    By Google it's made to help the Pro
    But there's a claim the name
    it sounds quite the same
    as another fellow's lingo

    This other lingo named "Go!"
    "It was earlier" it's inventor says so.
    "Why didn't you look
    on a webpage or in my book,
    it's even google search result two!"

    "So Google, rename your thing!
    Or in front of a judge you i bring!
    Lots of users agree
    it was disgraceful by thee
    just be sorry and give me a ring!"

    So the question arise
    allthough google might despise
    "what new name shall we be giving
    to the lingo that's not yet living
    and has not yet seen this world with it's own eyes?"

    One fella proposed the name "Goo"
    Which is similar to pythons clone "Boo"
    But also this name is taken
    and not yet forsaken
    and honestly sounds close to "Poo".

    Another said "Lango" is cool,
    He would take such thing as a tool.
    But a lingo named "Lango"
    Only rhymes "Jango" or "Tango"
    This is real, not Star Wars, you fool!

    Lots of other names were called
    some were boring, some others were bold
    The question still remain
    Will google act or refrain
    from renaming it's lingo as told?

    The remainder of my little piece
    Is the ironic issue of this
    Why did you, google miss
    to google "go" before release
    You would have known it's not your name, but his'!

    --
    my karma will be here long after I'm gone
  6. Re:They should plan better by xophos · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As someone stated before, this is not a legal issue. It's just about basic politeness.

  7. Re:People! Punctuation is IMPORTANT! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Google's language is called Go! (with an exclamation mark.) The preexisting language whose existence has been suddenly and rudely revealed is called Go without the exclamation mark.

    Other way around. Google's language is "Go". McCabe's language is "Go!".

  8. Re:People! Punctuation is IMPORTANT! by Thornburg · · Score: 5, Informative

    Dont get me started on the Japanese chess game Go.

    I don't know if your post was supposed to be either sarcastic or funny, but Go is neither Japanese nor chess.

    It's Chinese, and it's older than chess.

    The game commonly referred to as "Japanese chess" is Shogi.

  9. Re:Go! by fbjon · · Score: 5, Funny

    Next up: Go2 considered harmful.

    --
    True confidence comes not from realising you are as good as your peers, but that your peers are as bad as you are.