OO.org Selects Its Own Sea Bird 413
Elektroschock writes "A new mascot of the OO.org project was announced today: A crazy sea gull. I wonder whether it will help to convince office workers of Open Office. "Andrea [Maggioni]'s contribution is not only beautiful and effective but also illustrates the potential of young people to contribute importantly to real projects under the banner of Free and Open Source Software." Andrea, "whose cheerful drawing, of a fun-looking seagull holding a fish, plays on the "OOo" shorthand of OpenOffice.org"... ehemm, it's a crazy sea gull."
Pun on (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Pun on (Score:5, Funny)
I don't know... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Pun on (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Pun on (Score:3, Insightful)
hopefully they give the gull an extreme makeover before they let him loose
Re:Pun on (Score:5, Funny)
I'd say they just took a tern for the worst.
See the Other Submissions (Score:5, Informative)
Voting is of course closed, but if you'd like to see the other students' submissions, our voting page [skittlebrau.org] is still displayed. You can click on the individual images for a larger view.
Also, a minor point of clarification regarding Timothy and Elektroschock's write up -- this is not a mascot for OOo. This is a mascot for OooEdu, the new Schools Project of Open Office.org. Please, read the attached article to learn about what the OOoEdu aims to do, and how you can help. We're an active and devoted community, and there are things you can do to further OOo's acceptance in schools, even if you can't contribute a line of code!
Re:See the Other Submissions (Score:5, Insightful)
Okay, so I sinned and did RTFA. Here's a quote from the last paragraph, which is ROTFLMAO, IMHO.
Context: case study of OOo being burned to CD in a school project.
It'll be a cold day in hell when Bill Gates will sponsor OOo for schools! That would go straight against his business strategy in so many ways...
Re:See the Other Submissions (Score:4, Interesting)
k12wincd [sourceforge.net] is a CD image that includes open office as well as others. Similar to gnuwinCD.
I should be burning 250-300 of these this summer to be handed out in the fall.
In my well paid opinion (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:In my well paid opinion (Score:5, Insightful)
You're right as to the qualities one might want in a general-purpose OOo mascott, though perhaps there's a misunderstanding about what this image is for.
Still, even for a kid's education program, the image suggests a goofy, amaturish feeling that implies OOo may be merely qualified as a children's application, i.e., not suitable for professional work
It's worth noting, too, that despite what the article says, people are refering to this as *the* OOo mascott. An unfortunate bit of misinformation that may be hard to squash.
(I also think that the doofy Tux penquin does not help the Linux image one bit, though apparently it hasn't hurt it much either.)
Oh, lord no! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:In my well paid opinion (Score:5, Funny)
Re:In my well paid opinion (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:In my well paid opinion (Score:3, Interesting)
Wimp.
Take pride in the software you use.
"I use The GIMP. Yeah, you heard me right, The GIMP! Don't like it? Run back to mama PhotoShop, ya pussy! In the meantime, I'll do laps around your pathetic filters and layers, and pay a few hundred less for the honor!"
All in presentation. A "bad" name can seem like a liability, but if you make it "in your face" enough, it can help. Don't apologize - Confront! It takes quit
Re:In my well paid opinion (Score:4, Insightful)
Although I'd love to help correct the politically correct problem [strike-the-root.com] out here, I don't feel this situation is the right place for me to do it. Getting people to use free software is a higher priority for me. Therefore, I apologize up front about the name and then do my best to convince people to try the software.
Re:In my well paid opinion (Score:5, Insightful)
The what?
Guh-new Image Manipulation program?
Guh-what?
Guh-new, G.N.U.
WTF?
Guh-new's not Unix
What's Unix?
An Operating system, don't worry about it, it's the Guh-new Image Manipulation Program.
That's stupid.
No, it's great, check out www.gimp.org
Haha. Nice try, that's a hardcore porn site right? I don't think I want to hang around with you anymore.
I'm serious, it's a graphic program, it's great, it's written by free software devlopers. It's licensed under the GPL.
The GPL?
The Guh-new public license
You're frightening me.
Try the GIMP, it's not very good on Windows though, you should try it on Linux.
I think I'll stick to Photoshop. There's a new version coming out. Check out this glossy book I picked up.
I don't have to pay for my documentation.
Where is it?
www.gimp.org
Ooooh Kaaay. I've got work to do now, please leave.
Re:In my well paid opinion (Score:5, Informative)
No thank you. Someday, I'd actually like to get laid.
A "bad" name can seem like a liability, but if you make it "in your face" enough, it can help.
"The GIMP" sounds like something that a really twisted 16-year-old kid wearing all black hacked together in his parents' basement. And most people I've mentioned it to have the same gut reaction, and they're all still addicted to Photoshop on Windows. Which is a pity, because it's an excellent program in its own right and perfectly suitable as a substitute for Photoshop for most users.
Re:In my well paid opinion (Score:5, Insightful)
Why, OH WHY, can't nerds come up with names for their projects that don't sound like overt attempts to make the straights grimace?
Names matter.
Ogg Vorbis? I get where the name comes from, being a rabid Pratchett fan, but what does it have to do with a sound file format? Why not
No one gets the joke, even if there was a joke (or a bad pun). PRATCHETT people don't get it. A combination of the torturer priest inSmall Gods and the family name of the witch Gytha Ogg of Lancre? WTF??
The GIMP? The name of some poor bastard imprisoned in a box, zipped up in filthy leather from head to toe, tortured for months until he loses his mind and identifies with his torturers? This is a name you want to drop at the art department at Cosmo when you're trying to convince them that it's better to use open source than Photoshop? You want to put up a name meaning ultimate degradation to people who want to deal with beauty? Are you TRYING to fail?
Now a bloody seagull. Not just a seagull, but a freaked out, stoned seagull. For kids. And the office environment.
ARRGGGHHHHH.
Now I can hear the snorks and wheezing laughter out there as all the geeks cut loose. It is ultimate geek humor, I know, to make up a totally inappropriate name to describe a prosaic project. If the dumbasses out there can't take a joke, fuck 'em.
Which is why geeks don't do marketing. They don't do GUI's either. Not much into making music. They don't identify with the common herd, so there it is: they torpedo their own projects in the real world.
I mean, what else can I say? Ogg should have been OpenSound, GIMP should have been OpenDraw, and OpenOffice should have a more mainstream symbol.
Re:In my well paid opinion (Score:5, Insightful)
This was a PR ploy, and as such, was successful. Okay, so you're saying that the unschooled efforts of a 15-year-old are a poor reflection on a competition targeted at schools? Um. Yeah. As any good designer will tell you, the right design for the project.
Secondly: opinions are subjective. Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it didn't fulfill its purpose. Bad designers forget to target the average person and instead waste their time trying to impress other designers.
Oh, and by the way: a mascot is not a logo, by any means; that's why we have two different names for them. Do you think the MGM lion, an easily recognizable and well-known mascot, would fulfill your criteria? No. Does that nullify the hitherto-successful history of MGM? No.
A well-paid opinion does not make it a good opinion (although possibly a pompous one with an inferiority complex who takes pot shots at teenagers.) It just means that you're good at convincing other people with no artistic sensibilities that you know what you're doing.
Re:In my well paid opinion (Score:4, Insightful)
Maybe because it was done by a child... I dunno.
Re:See the Other Submissions (Score:5, Insightful)
I agree that this is head and shoulders over the others, partially because the use of a computer made it more easily integratable into electronic media. The kid clearly had a very good sense of what it takes to make a good logo (the image creates a relationship with the viewer, with the bird looking straight in the viewer's eye).
Very nice, too, is how both the bird and the fish are smiling, which makes the image very cheerful and "childlike" (in the way adults define it).
Re:See the Other Submissions (Score:3, Funny)
Is the fish happy that he is about to become dinner? Does the fish symbolize something?
Cute bird, the fish has to go.
As a professional graphic designer... (Score:5, Interesting)
That seagull somewhat works as a mascot (which it is) but not a logo.
Logos need to be simple color pallet . Moreover, logo's need to be scalable and preferably vector based. They should be recognizable at 3/4 squared as well as 4 feet squared. These factors allow one to easily apply a logo to a building, sign, letterhead, etc. Giant complicated bitmap logos are only going to give you problems.
Moreover, simple logos are easier and faster for a human brain to retain. (psychology and sociology are fairly important subjects for graphic designers to understand) People are more likely to gain sense of familiarity and comfortability with a simple logo.
But... anywho... I could go on and on.
Suffice to say, I'm not a big fan of the seagull in it's current state. Mascots can get by with silly complicated forms since they are (usually) not logos. However simplifying their characterization usually increases there ability to gain acceptance.
The seagull is a good start, but it could be cleaned up a bit.
just my 2cents
Target audience? (Score:5, Insightful)
The retarded bird says unprofessional, flaky, and unattractive.
The competition was surely a great idea to get awareness up amongst kids, but I wouldn't run around with that bird as a letterhead to managers of schools and boards representing schools.
Re:Target audience? (Score:4, Insightful)
The retarded bird says unprofessional, flaky, and unattractive.
You could just as well be making fun of Big Bird there. Principles are not the same as CEO's. Principles are generally aware that they're watching over children.
Re:Target audience? (Score:4, Funny)
Got that right. Hell, you usually don't read about them in the same sentance, even.
Re:See the Other Submissions (Score:2, Insightful)
1) While it's true that the winner looks pretty solid compared to the competition (which mostly look like they were drawn by a demented seagull) "professional quality" may be overstating it a bit.
2) Getting your copy of Photoshop off Kazaa doesn't make it "100% free software".
Re:See the Other Submissions (Score:5, Funny)
Only for OOoEdu (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Only for OOoEdu (Score:4, Funny)
O'Reilly hasn't spoken yet... (Score:2)
Re:Word (Score:2)
If you ask me, I think it's the damn bird that's dosed.
(tig)
Please note (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Please note (Score:5, Insightful)
However i do applaud them for involving school aged children into this project and their efforts to bring open office to schools. This will not only save schools hundreds of dollars (more like thousands) but also will having children involved with the development of such a product has countless educational value.
I tip my hat to them
Around here, seagulls are called "shithawks". (Score:5, Funny)
"It looks like you're trying to run Microsoft Office via WINE. Would you like me to poop on it for you?"
Why am I reminded of that scene... (Score:5, Interesting)
Oh and there's only one 't' in 'mascot'.
Damn. (Score:2, Insightful)
A few mistakes in the summary... (Score:5, Informative)
2) It was a childs drawing, who won a competition.
I think it's quite cute.
Something wrong with the picture (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Something wrong with the picture (Score:2)
"If you destroy me, I will only become more powerful!"
-Adam
Re:Something wrong with the picture (Score:2, Funny)
The bird is qualitatively meassuring an oriffice...
Re:Something wrong with the picture (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Something wrong with the picture (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Something wrong with the picture (Score:5, Funny)
I don't know. The first thing that I thought was that that seagull looks totally stoned. It's got bloodshot eyes, messed up hair, a zoned out expression, and its fingers look just like they're holding a joint. It's pretty easy to mentally add an enormous smoldering doobie to the image.
The fish has a huge smile on his face and is staring directly at the seagull's virtual joint. He may be anticipating that the seagull is going to be kind enough to give him a puff or two.
Hopefully the seagull doesn't have the munchies.
PETA (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:OK (Score:4, Funny)
Didn't you know that there's a certain substance in meat that stimulates the production of a neurotransmitter known as "Sanitonin". Without sanitonin, you generally start to lose your mind. This is particularly a problem in eastern nations that don't eat a lot of meat and are therefore particularly open to exploit by crazy political systems.
I've heard that asparagus actually contains a neurotoxin that completely defeats the effect of sanitonin. It's called insanitonin.
I don't eat asparagus.
Oh well. (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Oh well. (Score:3, Interesting)
Not a good mascot for a project aimed at schools (Score:5, Funny)
Quite frankly, the gull looks slightly... challenged. Not a good image for either open office or for a subprject aimed at schools :)
-naeem
Re:Not a good mascot for a project aimed at school (Score:2)
Yes, but how about an open office subproject aimed at schools for the "challenged"...
The "OK" gesture is obscene in some countries (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:The "OK" gesture is obscene in some countries (Score:5, Funny)
In Brazil the mascot will look like a perverted psychopath with a thing for fish.
Looks like it'll fit in in Brazil. ;)
The "OK" sign the gull is making is obscene in EU (Score:5, Insightful)
Maybe they should have researched this a bit more...
good point (Score:5, Funny)
Re:good point (Score:3, Funny)
As if they care? (Score:3, Funny)
Given all the European snickering about Americans complaining when Janet Jackson showed a tit on TV, I would think they wouldn't care about hand gestures. :-)
Re:As if they care? (Score:5, Funny)
Janet J wasn't using her tit to promote a free software office suite for educational use.
OOo means dead in UO (Score:4, Interesting)
Oh great (Score:5, Insightful)
That's a nice price, sure. But for a girl who's prolly still in high school or maybe even elementary school?
Re:Oh great (Score:5, Funny)
Take a cue from towlie (Score:2, Funny)
That gull looks like it's itching to ask you:
"So.... do you wanna get high?"
What the hell is she going to do with that? (Score:5, Funny)
Uhhh.. she's 15. I guess we know why her sister's boyfriend talked her into contributing.
Re:What the hell is she going to do with that? (Score:3, Informative)
Cuter... (Score:5, Interesting)
AbiWord Word Processor [abisource.com]
(leave off the file name for more images of Abi the Ant)
branding (Score:4, Insightful)
Maybe its just me. But I'm really getting tired of open source branding efforts. Go ahead and do this stuff but have developer.*.org with none of this. I dont care about branding. I'm interested in the code, the bugs and the developer discussion.
At developer.*.org place the following one click away with no product branding:
source tars
cvs information
bug reporting
developer mail lists and archives.
Fairly simple request. Nobody will go to developer.*.org for binaries.
Consider developers a seperate 'branding' effort.
Its my impression the branding efforts how their understand users but not developers. Keep them away.
Cute bird. have fun.
I like the puns (Score:2)
Is it... (Score:2, Funny)
Additional Photos (Score:4, Funny)
image1 [noaa.gov],
What? (Score:3, Funny)
his ass is about to get eaten!
Re:What? (Score:2, Funny)
Tossing a seafood salad?
This just in... (Score:3, Funny)
This is a play on words? (Score:2, Interesting)
First the seagull mascot... (Score:5, Funny)
Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine!
ignore the sig
AWESOE!!! Here's why... (Score:3, Interesting)
Second, know that a fish, in the united states, is a non-direct however clear reference to the same. Pussy. Vagina. The odor of both is what has made the two a match in American vernacular.
Now, look at the photo again, and you will see a hard-core, sex crazed bird with two big references to pussy. I am laughing so hard right now I can't breathe. Need... help... and a 15 year old girl created this?!?!? Arrg.... short of breath.... help... too... funny...
Re:AWESOE!!! Here's why... (Score:3, Informative)
The fish, however... No, I don't think they 'match in American vernacular'. I'd say smells in either would have more to do with bacteria (death in one, treatable conditions in the other) than anything else. When I think of "Long John Silver's", my gutterthoughts don't go any lower than "Silverfish Platter".
I dont get it (Score:2)
Pretty rude gesture to be making (Score:2, Informative)
Before you pick a logo, or mascot, it is wise to consult with experts. Just wait until the Germans get online in a few hours.
It's official (Score:5, Funny)
There is nothing even remotely fish-related about the wildebeest. What does this mean for the GNU project?
Slashdotted... (Score:5, Funny)
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--{o} {o}-- not
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*bbbb*|||- offensive
(|||) post.
(|||)
\/ / \
O|| / \-/|/
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-- -- Thank you, Andrea Maggioni
We understand the qualifiers, but still... (Score:5, Insightful)
The problem is, it doesn't matter if it's "just" the mascot for OOOedu -- it reflects on the entire OO.org brand. Unfortunately, it communicates "sloppy, stoned bird," rather than "whimsical kid-friendly software."
The idea of using a kid's drawing is good, but as you see, the results leave you explaining it EVERY TIME ("see.. it was drawn by a kid.. see?). What about incorporating the feedback of kids? What about working with kids to come up with various themes? or having various schools vote on a selection of professional designs?
Cute isn't going to win us (the open source software movement) any battles.
I can't believe what I'm reading here (Score:3, Insightful)
Damn people have some fun will you.
So much for internationalisation (Score:3, Interesting)
I believe in Japan it means something like "I want my change in coins" which, although not particularly insulting, is pretty irrelevant.
Perhaps a "thumbs-up" gesture ought to be GIMPed over the top, at least as part of an i18n package for the countries affected.
Re:Well..... (Score:3, Funny)
Then again, that damn butterfly is starting to piss me off.
Re:Well..... (Score:5, Interesting)
Having logo designed by school children for a school project is just so silly isn't it. The competition wouldn't raise awareness in the target market or anything, would it? And schools hate competitions.
And school children love boring corporate logos.
Surely you have to be able to read to be "in advertising", but obviously not...
Re:Well..... (Score:5, Insightful)
But aside from that, can you honestly claim the seagull is any less professional than Clippy or the stupid Windows XP puppy?
Re:Well..... (Score:2, Interesting)
You are correct that given its educational slant, this might be more acceptable. However, if they were to read the same summary I did, I'm sure they wouldn't have picked up on that simple message either, as it was not in the summary.
First off, I'm in advertising, which is different than marketing, I suggest you look up the difference some time. As I stated, I didn't ca
Re:Well..... (Score:2)
And what's the point of making such judgemental comments without reading the first sentence of a press release?
Re:Well..... (Score:2)
Just as the School of Information Technologies is in the Faculty of Science, and I am in the School of Information Technologies, then obviously enough I am in the Faculty of Science.
And I did read your post correctly, you are in advertising, advertising is part of merketing, hence you are in marketing.
Re:We all know the crazy gull is what PHBs want (Score:2)
Re:Not the OO.org mascot (Score:5, Insightful)
Amen brother. What the hell is the deal with so much of the visual symbology for OSS being ... well ... retarded? We're trying to draw folks in here, not push them away, right?
Proceed mods, I'll let the karma burn on this one.
Re:Not the OO.org mascot (Score:3, Insightful)
I don't see the need for mascots at all, and they are all so cutesy I could hurl. Tux, the BSD mascot, now this seagull which is the worst all all. Maybe the reason MS still owns the desktop and we don't is that they don't have a mascot, and the repulsive clippy is easily kept out of sight (in Japan, clip
Re:Mascott? (Score:2)
Re:Mascott? (Score:2)
Re:Any Open Source Marketing People? (Score:4, Informative)
quote:
Yes, the blurb was misleading.Re:That's just stupid (Score:2, Informative)
This is stupid too (Score:5, Insightful)
Yeah. Because a penguin is not silly at all.
Uhmm.....
Re:If everyone refers to it as OO.org all the time (Score:2)
The .ORG extension doesn't allow two-letter domain names. I think the minimum is three letters for .ORG. In fact there are only very few international domain extensions that allow two-letter registrations.
-JemRe:Misleading post (Score:2)
I know. I'm not going to let it slide without saying anything, though.
Re:Sea gull?? (Score:3, Funny)
Speaking of which, the fish that seagull is holding looks a bit too happy for the situation he's in...