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by RBO2 235 days ago
Why not call it secc ("sexy") ?
1 comments

It's poor form to put the word "secure" (or any derivative of it) into a product that aims to provide more security.

Reason: there's no solution to the security problem. Fil-C doesn't solve security. Does it make things more secure? Yes! But there will always be more security issues. So imagine if I had called it "Secure C" (and then had a sexy compiler), and 10 years from now someone finds a comprehensive solution to the string injection problem in Secure C. What do they call their thing? Securer C? Secure C Pro? Secure Secure C?

I agree. I'd add that security is always relative to not just an existing level of security but to a threat model. There are threat models relative to which Fil-C doesn't make things more secure. (I can't think of one under which Fil-C makes things less secure, though.)

A similar criticism applies to "new". Newcastle is named after a castle built 945 years ago. Neuchâtel is named after a castle built 1014 years ago. Xavier (from Basque "etxeberri", "new house") is named after a castle built in the 10th century. Windows NT "new technology", etc.

These are good points but no name is ever perfect. Just felt that secc was more memorable and would offer more levarage to this great project :-)
"Filthy" is already extremely memorable.