OS-tan Annex Project

[C-Chan]

WINDOWS VISTA OFFICIAL DESIGN REFERENDUM

Entry #1:  Rozen-Maiden Vista



Shocked we only have one of these in the Gallery, when in fact the Niijura board is swamped with them.  ^___^
Better remedy that later....  -v-'

Seems to be a recent favorite, given the number of imitations out there.  Quadruple Pigtails earns much pointage from C-chan.  ^v^

Current Votes:  3

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Entry #2:  Screw-haired Ninja Vista



Would it be this one, by any chance?  Don't see a full-version pic, so guess this chibi will do.  ^.^

Current Votes:  1

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Entry #3:  Shikijou Saori-Knockoff Vista



Given how this one's dressed, I get the feeling she'd ACT like Saori-sensei....  -v-'

Current Votes:  3

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Entry #4:  "Screwy" Generic Schoolgirl Vista



I swear sometimes people get too caught up in their own puns....  -v-'

Current Votes:  1

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Is this the one, Aurora...?

Entry #5:  Blonde-Haired Loli w/ Long Pigtails & Windows Logo Hairclips Vista



Current Votes:  1 (?)

==============================================

Or this the one,...?

Entry #5:  Blonde-Haired Loli w/ Long Pigtails & Longhorn Logo Hairclips Vista



Current Votes:  1 (?)

[Aurora Borealis]

The 5th and 6th ones are close to the one I was describing. They have their variations, but most commonly looks like the 6th one but with blonde hair.

[brougeXP22]

i think keeping the -tan suffix is fine but i also think that the suffix used to address one of the OS girls should depend on their relative age and the collective respect that the members have for said OS-tan. ;011

[MisterCat]

Having now viewed the newly-added candidates on the official WINDOWS VISTA OFFICIAL DESIGN REFERENDUM ballot, I stand by my original vote for Entry #3: Shikijou Saori-Knockoff Vista.  Thank you and good afternoon!

;012

=^..^=

MisterCat added the following  5 minutes after last message :

I shall refrain from making arguments and/or voting in the REPACKAGING OF "OS-TAN" NAMESAKE REFERENDUM, because my argument (such as it is) ended up being the narrative on the ballot.  Only a large bribe ($5 US) could make me violate the sanctity of this democratic process!

:smoke:

=^..^=

[C-Chan]

Hehe... would $5 Jamaican do?  ^.^'

No seriously, some discussion on the matter is always encouraged.  ^v^

I for one obviously sway more towards option 4, which to a certain degree is what brougeXP22 suggested as well.  The honorific should change based on character and premise, with "-tan" not eliminated, but certainly not always fostered.

[NewYinzer]

I am casting my vote for:
Entry #1: Rozen-Maiden Vista
As much as I hate Rozen Maiden knockoffs, I hate Mahoromatic knockoffs even more! And I even named the version!

[C-Chan]

Hehe... actually, I already counted your vote for her.  You did say you liked her, and this is Instant Run-off Voting, so you CAN nominate other designs too.  ^.^'

Can anyone suggest more Vista designs to add?  ^__^
I know there are still hundreds out there, though a good number of them depict her as a schoolgirl (or are, in fact, supposed to represent Longhorn).

[Alfamille]

I wanna post my opinions first on the os-tan changing its "namesake" and then I would post my pick on the Vista designs.

About the namesake, like Mistercat...I have thought of this for some time. Although I still believe that we need to change nothing on what should they be called. So I'm gonna go to #5. Even someone would change their name like for example 98-tan will be changed into "Memphis-san", majority will still say "it's 98-tan" or "nii-san". But even though I want the 5th selection....my next least one is to "close affiliation to the term "girl" into a a single word" which is the 3rd selection.

Quote from : Aurora Borealis

The 5th and 6th ones are close to the one I was describing. They have their variations, but most commonly looks like the 6th one but with blonde hair.

I feel the same way as Ms. Borealis;

But I choose the 5th instead, keep her being blonde and I'll show you why;





The image I've shown is the "Windows Search" available in upcoming Vista (i think the beta has it too). Isn't the Windows search design very familliar to you guys, especially you C-chan?


Not only that, I think Vista-chan's outfit should be familliar to Ubuntu. I will show you another image why;


UBUNTU;






VISTA (Aero interface in a flip3D position)







They really have a very familliar interface.  ;010


Think about it  ;010

[Pitkin]

First, the Vista vote... I use my option to not vote for any design; dislike the upcoming system already, but more importantly I feel that no matter which of those designs would be chosen to represent the OS, she'd still end up being my least favourite of all OSes (well, XPME-tan is a worthy opponent in that race, though). So, I just leave the ballot blank. *corrects glasses*

Then, the more interesting question about the names...

Option 1: We change the namesake to "OS-san"

This way the cultural origin can be preserved, but at least the OS-san in question could be initially referred to with a bit more respect that we all agree she should deserve.  Whether or not an individual chooses to address her later on as -tan, -chan, -san, -sama or even -bozu is entirely up to him/her, but at least we aren't deriding her from the get-go.  Still, the user is tied to the Japanese origin, which may or may not entice a wider audience.

In my opinion, the phenomenom is called OS-tan, and that's it. The girls themselves can be referred to as 98-tan, 98-san, Kyuuhachi-san, Memphis-san, 98-chan, etc (the Japanese-language comics do not feature the characters calling each others 'tans' all the time, if ever, but more like that Win95 calls others -chans, Win2k refers to them as -sans, etc...). I personally am most strongly against trying to change the name of the whole thing, but do think that the characters themselves can perfectly be referred to with -san or other more appropriate honourific suffixes.

OS-san sounds very good to me, but I do not consider it so much better than the original OS-tan, that we should fly the flag and campaign to have it replaced. That, if something, might anger the purists.

Option 2: We anglicize the namesake to "OS Girl"

Same as above, but swapping the Japanese cultural connotation with an English-speaking one.  Perhaps appropriate since the majority of Operating Systems being personified were created in Western nations, but certainly there are arguments that can be made to the contrary.  Then there's the issue of whether the term "girl' is simply deriding the OS Girls as well, only in English.

I usually refer to OS-tan as OS Girls when talking to someone not knowing the phenomenom. Again, I'm against trying to fight the original name OS-tan, but as a parallel English word (I don't really believe in confusion) it'd be very good in my opinion. I also think that most of the OS 'Girls' would definitely not mind being called that way, comparing the situation to the one rising when one dared to refer to Win95 as 'auntie' or Win2k as something like 'lady' or 'mistress'.

Option 3: We transliterate "OS-tan" to a neutral language

This likely won't be easy, but at least it could establish a truly international flare.  Ideally, the language should possess some way of fusing a romanized sounding "OS" and a close affiliation to the term "girl" into a a single word.

I've yet to bump into a better word than the OS-tan and OS Girls. OS Women sounds... hmm... somehow colonial to me, and any ruder words for women or girls are absolutely out of the question. T_T;

Option 4: We keep "OS-tan" to the preexisting OS-tans, but have newer OS personifications adopt more mature honorifics

This has more to do with my Annex faction setting that anything, but as far as the backstories are concerned, the Windows-tans have enjoyed several years of peace and prosperity, enough to live worry-free and spend their majority of their time in play.  Out of that existence, it's only natural that childish habits would be fostered.

Outside of the dream world of the Windows faction, however, life isn't necessarily rosy.  Most OS-sans in the real world act more measurably, have concerns for real issues, and certainly address themselves more appropriately.  If these backstories take flight, the "OS-tan" debate can actually serve as a very interesting social plot point.

Again, the characters themselves can be referred to with any honourific suffix just somewhat appropriate, and shouldn't really be fenced into some specific formula. Naturally, if these 'formulae' could somehow be adapted via some plot and thus become only natural, and not forced as in "Let's call them -sans instead of -tans" (pretty much like the Brazilian government back in the 1950s and their obsession with building a new capital, sheesh), it would be delightful.

Option 5: We keep "OS-tan" out of pure tradition and call it a day

The easiest route, with two possible outcomes.  Either the OS-tan Phenomenon remains a "niche market", or, over time, we help recategorize the term "-tan" altogether, till no one remembers its childish origin.

I do not believe in the OS-tan name being any kind of factor for the current "niche market" status the phenomenom has. Can it really be said that "freedom fries" sell more to the public audience than the "French fries" did? If the name was something visibly odd (which I don't really see OS-tan being), such as OS Bollocks or Windows Jugend, it might have an effect, but at the moment I personally feel it doesn't really pose any kind of a problem.


I admit being quite conservative on this matter, even though I've pretty much been referring to the "OS Girls" and "-sans" all the time I've known them... at this forum I've actually moved towards calling them -tans, since I don't want to A) confuse new members or B) annoy the more extreme conservatists by calling the girls by names they might not i) understand and/or ii) accept.

[NewYinzer]

This is too complicated! I hate to say this, but this thread is becoming more confusing than the conflicts themselves! I'm fine with us discussing the Vista dispute, but the idea of changing the name of the OS-tans seems crazy!

In my opinion, calling them "OS Girls" or "OS-sans" is like changing Newgrounds to Nogrounds or YTMND to DNMTY! Even though the name OS-tan is silly, especially if you tell it to someone who speaks Japanese, it is the hallmark of our subsubculture!

Don't get me started on Windows Vista! As for a solution, we don't really have the power to change what they're doing on Nijiura or Futaba! I think we have to wait until Vista comes out. Let the people on Nijiura or Futaba work the conflict out! In fact, if we were to make such a decision, it might create a rift between us and Nijiura and other boards. I worry that such a conflict could leave us like Deja Vu!

As for these things, lets hold back to our other projects:
-Translating comics
-New OS-tans
-New comics
-More members

It looks like my vacation is over...

[brougeXP22]

NewYinzer does have a good point. We should try to keep this thread as simple and easy to understand as we possibly can -__-

[C-Chan]

GAH-HAHAHAHAHA!!!!  ^V^
That's funny.  ^__^
Glad it's complicated,... it is a referendum, after all, and one with a roundtable, IRV-type system.  REAL democracy is supposed to be messy like that (no mysterious black boxes here).  ^v^

Don't forget that the true heart of this thread lies with the Page 1 Annex material.  Everything else after that has a purely topicless facet, although I do try to keep the discussions useful to the material on the Annex.  ^__^

Case in point:

VISTA:  Sure, the system hasn't come out yet, and yes we seem to be alright with Niijura/Futaba releasing the "official" Windows-tans.  However, I need one design now for Vista's Wiki avi, so I figured I'd throw in a vote together to choose the most favored Vista-tan of all among us.  ^__^

Besides, the OS-tan phenomenon has subsided alot in their boards of origin, so who's to say they'll agree on a standard Vista design, and not just release the usual medley of inconsistent variations?  ^v^'
It may be several years before an official design emerges past all the horde of mecha musume and cigarette-tans that will be released, so why shouldn't we take the initiative?  If you really think they'll give a hoot about this English-speaking board, maybe this will be just the thing to set them back on track?

"OS-TAN" Namesake:  Really posted it to see everyone's opinions (and to get it off the Website Name thread), but my own opinion on the matter is still back in the Website Name thread.  Love the point raised, but doubt that the actual "OS-tan" phrase will ever be changed.

Still, it gave me a good excuse to post Option #4 and gather up more ideas for Annex plot points.  I always thought that "OS-tan" is ill-suited for members of the Mainframe Guild or the CIOST especially (notwithstanding deceased ones, LUC-ones, some Wanderers, etc), but I didn't think I could do much to point that out until now.  ^__^

How fitting that so many of the world's historical conflicts have been as a result of bickering over what might otherwise be described as seemingly petty things....  -v-
(The definition of the "Holy Trinity", for instance.)
Yes, this will be very useful....  *plots menacingly*  `v'

But anyway, thought I should clear that up.  ^__^
The Annex is home to any OS-tan related idea you wish to bring up, no matter how big or how small, how simple or complicated, how dumb-sounding or how awe-inspiring.  ^.^

So discuss away, and don't mind C-One popping in with updates to the Annex that drag us back to the real world....  ^v^'

(Oh, and Alfamille, you know Windows always rips off other OSes, eh?  `v')

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WINDOWS VISTA OFFICIAL DESIGN REFERENDUM

Entry #1:  Rozen-Maiden Vista



Shocked we only have one of these in the Gallery, when in fact the Niijura board is swamped with them.  ^___^
Better remedy that later....  -v-'

Seems to be a recent favorite, given the number of imitations out there.  Quadruple Pigtails earns much pointage from C-chan.  ^v^

Current Votes:  3

==============================================

Entry #2:  Screw-haired Ninja Vista



Would it be this one, by any chance?  Don't see a full-version pic, so guess this chibi will do.  ^.^

Current Votes:  1

==============================================

Entry #3:  Shikijou Saori-Knockoff Vista



Given how this one's dressed, I get the feeling she'd ACT like Saori-sensei....  -v-'

Current Votes:  3

==============================================

Entry #4:  "Screwy" Generic Schoolgirl Vista



I swear sometimes people get too caught up in their own puns....  -v-'

Current Votes:  1

==============================================

Is this the one, Aurora...?

Entry #5:  Blonde-Haired Loli w/ Long Pigtails & Windows Logo Hairclips Vista



Current Votes:  1

==============================================

Or this the one,...?

Entry #5:  Blonde-Haired Loli w/ Long Pigtails & Longhorn Logo Hairclips Vista



Current Votes:  1

[SleepyD]

I'll get back to you on the Vis-tan thing,

but vote KEEP OS-tan as the name.

Pitkin summed up quite a bit of what I would have said, so yeah.
Codi gave a compelling point of view as well.

I can't see it as any different. Many call the individual girls different names anyway... Secchan rolls off the tongue so much more easily that 98SE-tan, for example. While OS-san also falls under that, I agree with pitkin that the purists would declare war on us or something. XD


Oh, yeah, btw, C-Chan, could you just edit the orginal post with the Vis-tan votes, and put in links to that post whenever you decide it's necessary?
It's kinda bothersome scrolling through all that.
So yeah. That's it.

[C-Chan]

Not sure,... doesn't seem to work for the Annex (perhaps no one likes to go to Page 1 of any thread...? ^^')
So that's why I keep hauling that thing around.... but trust me, it IS a pain to copy n paste all that BBCCode.  ^^'

I offer a reward for 1,000,000 posts for anyone who can think of a great nickname for Windows 95 OSR 2.5-sama.  Now THAT's an example of a tongue twister.  ^__^'

...Hmm,... hey, that's a thought....  ^.^

C-Chan added the following  3 minutes after last message :

WINDOWS 95 OSR 2.5-SAMA NICKNAME REFERENDUM

By porcine decree, C-chan offers a reward of 1,000,000 points to any lucky forum goer who offers a suitable nickname for the obscure but unbelievably cute goddess.....



Though I say her name with joy, the truth is that I run out of breath by the end of it.... -.-'

[C-One]

[confounded]  Ccccccccccc!!