@fediversereport @manton I agree that he has every right to trademark “Mastodon”. Actually, I thought he did exactly that sometime 2017 and 2018, because this was not the first time this happened, nor was it the second time.

#Mastodon is not a generic term as far as #SNS / #SocialWeb space is concerned. It is not a stand-in or a replacement or a sweet term for the #fediverse. It is a product. It is a brand. Always has been from the beginning. Thus, it is only right that he protects his trademark.

Now, as for a new name, there have been attempts to change it even before 2020, it's not new. But one has to wonder why there are a million complaints about the label ‘fediverse’ yet whenever people talk about suggesting names, only less than 100 participates? Ironically, those who do are usually the people who are fine with ‘fediverse’. ;)

A little background: Fediverse has been in used since 2012, first coined by Mark Eckenwiler; and in 2013 it was also coined by Marjolein Katsma, and from there it picked up (at least based on what I was able to find in web archives). It was natural. There was no voting. No discussion. The ‘fediverse’ just came naturally. And I think this is why it became the alternative label to the #OpenMicroBlogging > #OStatus > #ActivityPub protocols. Everyone simply picked it up.

However, I am open to using a different label, and I understand the point of those complaining about it. But, for it to fly, it has to be a global effort. People need to stop complaining about it, and start taking action.

So, let's have another round of discussions. Here are the suggestions floated around, in order of vote result (the instance seems to have died, it's not loading, so no link but see attached screenshot), based on 11 voters.

36% Mycelial Network (inspired by #StarTrekDiscovery)
18% The Wired (inspired by #SerialExperimentsLain #anime)
18% Torinet (tori is a bird in Japanese)
18% Omnipotamus (as in all the rivers)
18% suggest something else (see below)
9% Ganggang (a type of Cockatoo in Wiradjuri language)
9% Mushrooms
9% Fungivine
9% Webbing

No votes:
Flocks
Grapevine
Wired (inspired by Serial Experiments Lain)
Protocol 7 (inspired by Serial Experiments Lain)

Other suggestions:
* The Federation. Inspired by, well, #StarTrek. A lot replied they like this one. (note: this is also the name of the #diaspora network)
* Rebellion. Inspired by #StarWars

Personally, I like #Mycelial. But, as was pointed out by others, it's a bit of a challenge to say, and to remember. The other options then, at least based on the above poll results, would be #TheWired #Torinet #Omnipotamus.

Or,

#TheFederation – let's unify diaspora* and #ActivityPub and be done with it.

Or, #SocialWeb since it was how it all started anyway in 2005.

Or, maybe, it doesn't matter as long as one is not violating someone else's #trademark.

^_^