OS-tan theories and disscusion

[Siya]

BTW, thank you for stopping by Siya-san~! I was hoping you'd stop by so I could say good-bye, but if things work out well this may not be the last time I see you. -v-

You'll be missed, C-chan!  A while back, I noticed you were planning to leave.  Probably before I even came here.  I was hoping that the situation had changed, but I realize that real life has more urgency and is in more need of our dedication than any internet community.  I hope you get the opportunity to visit in the future (and I hope I'm not on an unexplained hiatus at the time >.>; ).  Good luck in your future endeavors! ^^

Also, I had fully intended to do a picture for you kind of as a birthday/thank you gift...but I couldn't figure out what to do and I got busy with work (and maybe SPORE ^^; ).  So, I'm sorry that never happened.  

Now if we could get either another doppleganger or a cloner (Virtualbox-tan?), we could have FOUR UNIX-samas in the same room. I don't think Slack-chan would be able to even TALK cohesively after that experience. ^__^

Maybe Ghostzilla-tan could get in on this action.  Though I forgot whether we decided her disguise ability was solely as Firefox or primarily as Firefox.  That and I've been getting a database error when I've tried to view the Wiki.

[C-Chan]

Hmmm....Fried Chicken Linux-tan...Oralux-tan....I'm seeing a pattern of chicken-based Linux distros. Are chickens related to penguins by any chance?

Other than that they're............... fish?
Or mammals?
Or reptiles?

Gee,... I forget what animal kingdom category chickens and penguins might belong to?  ^.^

*thinks about four Unix-samas in one room*

*passes out*

Oh what the hey!  Second time's a charm!  ^v^

*passes out again*

I sure will! A vector sketch would be quite easy, I admit quick shadework is a bit more difficult...

I know it's exhausting to do a drawing start to finish, but broken into two parts actually makes it a little more manageable.  

I know from experience fumbling around with the BSD-tans that I've gotten pretty weak at the initial sketchwork and coloring, but have improved a little with shading and highlighting -- a complete reversal of how I used to be when I first came here.  That being said, I think it makes sense that I offer my serves as your personal shader, lighter and special effects pig.  ^___^

That being said, I need to make it very clear that YOU will now be my boss.  I definitely won't be creating anymore drawings of my own (unless they deal directy with my programming), so aside from the usual brainstorming I'm gonna depend almost primarily on you for spearheading the actual drawing effort.  That means everything can be designed exclusively to your own tastes and art direction.  ^^

You'll be missed, C-chan! A while back, I noticed you were planning to leave. Probably before I even came here. I was hoping that the situation had changed, but I realize that real life has more urgency and is in more need of our dedication than any internet community. I hope you get the opportunity to visit in the future (and I hope I'm not on an unexplained hiatus at the time >.>; ). Good luck in your future endeavors! ^^

Thank you Siya-san.  ^__^
Admittedly, I won't return to OSC -- I've already committed not to look back.   However, aside from my newfound programming efforts (which I'll be able to commit to a lot more frequently now), I'm also going to spend a little time each week doing freelancery at DeviantArt.  Suffice to say, as long as you help out with DeviantOS-tans, you'll see me again.  Just don't be surprised if my name is RADICALLY different.  ^.^

(wow, it's gonna be sooooooooooo different.... -v-)

Also, I had fully intended to do a picture for you kind of as a birthday/thank you gift...but I couldn't figure out what to do and I got busy with work (and maybe SPORE ^^; ). So, I'm sorry that never happened.

Fufufu... well you could have had me (C-chan) sleep peacefully over Momonga-chan's tail or me lie comfortably on Musix-sama's lap having my ears cleaned, or perhaps lie me in bed between FreeSBIE-sama and RoFreeSBIE-sama.... *giggles lecherously*  ^.^

Just kidding though... don't worry about it, Siya-san.  ^__^
I'm happy enough that you enjoyed that uber-quick drawing I did.  Given how surprisingly-often gift pics were tossed to the curb in the past, I'm ever so grateful that you seriously appreciated it.  ^^

Maybe Ghostzilla-tan could get in on this action. Though I forgot whether we decided her disguise ability was solely as Firefox or primarily as Firefox. That and I've been getting a database error when I've tried to view the Wiki.

unfortunately Fedora-Tan still has a few things to enable in this forum.

Please, since I will no longer be around to request anything of him, PLEASE PM him with any problems you encounter in the forum.  If you stay silent, he's gonna assume that no news is good neews.  -v-

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

And I guess that's it for that.  ^^

I'm gonna miss this Wall O' Text central that is the OS-tan Theories and Discussions thread. So many interesting ideas and characters were born here.  Even though DA will limit the availability of discussion areas for ideas like these, I'm sure we can come up with a way to continue such active brainstorming.  

To all who remain, have fun and happy theorizing!!  ^v^

Good huntin!  Dismissed!  ^0^

*C-chan salutes and signs off*

[IanDanKilmaster]

Wow, my first post in this thread and it follows the very last post by the great Buta-senpai.  Following the recommendation of the talented Bella-sama, I thought I'd pop in here and throw out and idea of mine I've been sitting on for quite some time.  It's not an OS-tan, but an app-tan (I do have a few OS-tan ideas, but I really want to see how well this idea fares).  I don't know how many people use this application, or if anyone (in this forum, that is) is a big of a fan as I am of it, but I really like Amarok.  It's a really awesome jukebox for Linux (I think since KDE has been ported to Windows, Amarok is bundled with it), which I think does a good job as an alternative to iTunes.  So it really surprised me when I couldn't find an Amarok-tan.  So I started thinking, what should Amarok-tan look like.  What I'm currently envisioning resembles Haruko Haruhara from FLCL except with wolf ears and a tail (Amarok is Inuit for wolf) possibly wearing headphones or wielding a Rickenbacker (or knockoff) bass guitar (like Haruko) with everything in a blue and white theme (like Amarok).  I think the headphones might work better, especially if they were visibly attached to a portable audio player, because it would demonstrate the function program in a more analogous fashion.  I just don't know how it would fit with the wolf ears,  perhaps they could be earbuds.   Pardon the lack of detail, I'm having trouble recalling the entire concept.  I'll see if can come up with a picture that accurately depicts what I'm describing.

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[NejinOniwa]

Bwooo. Haruko. In my OSC? Seems more than likely...


FARK YARGH. -w-

[Bella]

Ahh, I've been waiting for the day we would see a -tan based on Haruko. ^^;

I like the concept of her being a wolf-girl, and I think the Haruko character template would fit really well. I think she would look best having wolf ears. Dunno about the headphones or music player (since she's going to have a guitar, perhaps she's already a musician?), but maybe she would look cool with a boombox. It is your character, though, so you should have the final say in the design.

All in all, this is a really good concept-- you're on to something here. Having a good character concept is half the battle. I really look forward to what other app-tan and OS-tan ideas you have floating around.

[OS Freak]

Are there any plans of making two more error tans One with black hair and one with white hair as well as Browser Tans like; Google Chrome Tan and Flock Tan, OS Tans like; ReactOS Tan, and other searches besides Google like; Yahoo and Bing(Livesearch/msn) Tans? I really suck at drawing so I really can't but I think I might give ideas. The two new error tans could be error 500 Internal server error and error 503 Service Temporarily Down error. Yahoo tan may use many purple and yellow colors while the msn tan could use a completely new image possibly using the windows logo as well as it's new Bing logo. Google Chrome Tan can use it's main colors and a great amount of blue as Chrome's default and little gadgets as minor designs. React OS is a clone of XP SP1 so there might be a good thinking amount there.

[Bella]

*dusts off thread*

Wow, this got buried...

Okay, so I have an idea. There are like, three versions of Mac OSX-tan, and we want to except them all as the same character.



And then there's Snow Leopard-tan, who I want to accept as the same character as Leopard-tan (because, well, it's basically a re-coloured Leopard-tan).

BUT THEY'RE ALL SO FRIGGIN PHYSICALLY DIFFERENT.

So, I propose a theory: Snow/Leopard-tan has a mild degree of shapeshifting ability (at least hair/eye colour). She developed this as a tactic to avoid time-paradoxes in her "travels"; in case she ran into a past version of herself, her past self wouldn't recognize her future self, and no weird paradoxes would result form any encounter between her different selves.

Y/N?

Added after 1 minutes:

OH! And this would also explain how our dear little Leopard-tan would be able to transform herself into an XP-tan doppleganger with her magical Boot Camp brooch.

[Aurora Borealis]

I think it sounds reasonable.

[Siya]

Agreed.  It sounds reasonable.

[NejinOniwa]

Reasonability = 0.89 out of 1.

[stewartsage]

Seems to make sense

[Bella]

Okay, cool! :B

[Bella]

I realize this is a pretty egregious necropost,

BUT.

I complied this rather huge paper on OS-tans and their animal anthropomorphisms, and I had no place to put it. It's too speculative/OT for the wiki or annex threads, so I figured instead of making a new theories thread I'd just reuse the one we already have.

***

OS-tans and Totem Animals: Or How Marketing Sometimes Gets Things Eerily Right
Part I

I did not write most of what you see here. Instead the information presented here was culled from several sites around the 'Net, links to which will be provided. I do not claim to be an authority on animal symbolism nor that these sites are authoritative either, but I believe the information provided is mostly accurate. Hopefully this will offer some fascinating insights into the animals chosen to "represent" various OS-tans and may provide new insights on old characters.

The symbolism is presented here without comment, and I invite you, the reader, to figure out how they relate to the characters. Some of these will be plainly apparent, while others may come off as ironic, inverting the best (or worse) traits of the character. Or perhaps they really do tell a truth, one nobody can see at first glimpse? In this way, animal anthropomorphisms challenge you to look past your preconceived notions and into the soul of a character.


Name: Multics
Animal: Eagle (As of 2008. Formerly: Snow owl)
Suggested by: Bella, as a reference to the eagle mascot in the Multics Man comics

"Swiftness, Strength, Courage, Wisdom, Keen Sight, Illumination of Spirit, Healing, Creation, Knowledge of Magick, Ability to See Hidden Spiritual Truths, Connection to Spirit Guides and Teachers, Power, Intelligence, Renewal, Clear Vision, The Solar Bird, Spiritual Power, Carries Souls Back to the Dreamtime, Soul World Memory, Retrieves Lost Soul Parts." 1

With its acute eyesight, the eagle has come to embody an all-seeing eye. The eagle is often a solar symbol, and can be linked to all sky gods. It signifies inspiration, release from bondage, victory, longevity, speed, pride, the father and royalty; it is often an emblem for powerful nations... The eagle is often depicted in combat with other animals; when seen in combat with a BULL or LION, it represents the spirit or the intellect in conflict with the physical. When shown with a serpent in its talons, the two represent the struggle and unity of LIGHT and DARKNESS; good and evil. In this context the eagle depicts LIGHT and good, while the serpent represents evil and DARKNESS. Often its opposite is the OWL - the bird of darkness and death."

...

Name: Bell Labs Unix
Animal: Horned owl
Suggested by: C-chan, as a reference to an O'Reilly book on Unix that has an owl on the cover

"Silent and Swift Movement, Seeing Behind Masks, Keen Sight, Messenger of Secrets and Omens, Shape-Shifting, Link Between the Dark, Unseen World and the World of Light, Comfort with Shadow Self, Moon Magick, Freedom, Silent Wisdom, Nocturnal Vision, Healing Powers, Magical, Detachment, Change, the Mystery of Magic, Omens, the Arts, Watchfulness, Night Magicks, Truth, Patience." 1

"In ancient Egyptian, Celtic, and Hindu cultures the symbolic meaning of owl revolved around guardianship of the underworlds, and a protection of the dead. In this light the owl was ruler of the night and seer of souls. A misunderstanding of this necessary relationship gave the owl some negative associations with death." 2

"Through pop culture references... and folklore, we all associate owls with wisdom at some time or other.  Rather than intellectual wisdom, though, owls are connected with the wisdom of the soul.  However, there are other qualities that owl has.  Owls are often seen as mysterious, mostly because many owls are strictly nocturnal and humans have always found night to be full of mystery and the unknown.  Owls live within the darkness, which includes magic, mystery, and ancient knowledge.  Related to the night is the moon, which owls are also connected to.  It becomes a symbol of the feminine and fertility, with the moon's cycles of renewal.

Even the mythology relates owl to this wisdom and femininity.  The owl was a symbol for Athena, goddess of wisdom and strategy, before the Greeks gave their pantheon human forms.  According to myth, an owl sat on Athena's blind side, so that she could see the whole truth.  In Ancient Greece, the owl was a symbol of a higher wisdom, and it was also a guardian of the Acropolis.  Diana, the Roman response to Athena, was strongly associated with the moon, and also the owl.  The Pawnee and the Sioux saw the owl as a messenger (akicita) to the first of all evil creatures (Unktehi). "  3

...

Name: SAGE
Animal: Badger
Suggested by: Stewartsage... because the honey badger don't care.

"Keeper of Stories, Bold Self-Expresssion, Aggressiveness, Single-Mindedness, Passion, Cunning, Revenge, Perseverance, Control, Antidote to Passivity or Victimization, Persistence in the Service of a Mission, Groundedness, Knowledge of the Earth, Earth Magick and Wisdom, Creative Action in a Crisis, Protection of Rights and Spiritual Ideas" 1

"Determination, Eagerness, Strong will, Focus, Strategy, Tenacity, Defense, Protection, Independence, Confidence" 2

"The badger stops at nothing to get what it wants... Specifically, those with the badger totem often attract this creature because he/she has difficulty finishing what is started . . . The badger is also fiercly independent and can be quite aggressive when threatened ...  Although smaller in stature, the badger commands attention from friend and foe alike.

The symbolism of the badger also includes individuality. The badger is a unique creature, well equipped to meet all the challenges it faces. It lives its life quite effectively. And although its methods might seem unorthodox, the badger doesn't care what the rest of the animal kingdom thinks about them....the badger tell us to "walk your own path at your own pace." Nevermind what others may say. Have faith in your own abilities and know that you are well-equipped to take on whatever challenge faces you." 2


Name: OpenVMS
Animal: Shark
Suggested by: DEC Marketing

"Ability to Move Constantly, Remorselessness, Never Being Caught Off Guard, Ability to Defend Oneself, Hunter, Survival, Adaptability" 1

"Calculating, Perceptive, Primal, Instinctive, Ancient, Knowing, Powerful, Focused, Mystery, Perpetual Motion, Dynamic, Unique Vision, Curious, Effective, Innovative, Superior, Efficient, Equipped"

"The shark...conveys a message of sleek authority. And the shark is an authority on all fronts of survival. In fact, those who connect with the shark totem will be masters at survival ... Shark people are extremely adept at summing up social situations, manipulating people and events (I don't mean that in a bad way). People with the shark totem navigate through life with a specialized "gut-rudder"... a primal instinct. It's a visceral, hard-wired knowing that guides certain humans. It's infallible, reliable, and geared for one thing only: To protect... life.

...rarely stays in the "shallow end" of life, but prefers to move deftly through the waves of experience - encountering adventure with undeniable exuberance.

And for all this zealous talk of life, the shark is also symbolically equipped to share lessons of death too. Actually, sharks know death is a fallacy. They have no concept of it. Sharks are in a constant state of renewal, and those with the shark totem will confirm the absence of death. Sharks, and humans attuned to sharks will only see renewal - only transition.

Sharks are superior organisms. From tail to teeth, sharks convey perpetual fluidity and momentum. They are examples of progress in its most assertive stages. To wit, their biological mechanisms are so elite, they've had no need to evolve over insane spans of time. They function from a place of timeless propulsion. Ever-forward.

Perhaps it is the sharks unsinkable nature that makes it a bit of a cold character (energetically speaking). Sharks are about aerodynamic efficiency, and they allow no fluff to enter their consciousness. They're quite austere and are wrapped in robes of distance and mystery. Those with shark totems will display similar aloofness. Inwardly, they sense the waves of emotions within and around them. Yet, outwardly they are cool, controlled, steely. This makes people of the shark clan extremely good businessmen/women, leaders and visionaries.

It's important to note the inherent duality here. The element of water is esoterically symbolic of emotions, dreams and intuition. And yet, the shark conveys a sterility in emotion. To be clear, the shark is not symbolically devoid of emotion. Rather, it is a master of emotion.

...Such a uniquely equipped creature, with so many (seeming) contradictions. We see an energy in the shark that is so linear and spear-like in its objective....yet, at the same time there is such delicate elegance." 2

...

I have more jotted down, but these are probably the most accurate OS-tan/animal pairings I've seen. Maybe I'll write another post explaining WHY I find these so spot-on as well as personal thoughts on the animals listed, but I'll just leave this here for now.

Sources:
1: http://onespiritx.tripod.com/magick18.htm
2: http://www.whats-your-sign.com/animal-totems.html
3: http://www.pure-spirit.com/more-animal-symbolism/400-owl

[Bella]

Y NOBODY REPLY TO MY WALLOTEXT? ;___;

Anyway... since I really have no other place to put it.... these are (some of) my Official Vistan Choices.

Home Premium:

(Note: due to the similar hair color and decorations I MAY consider this to be Chivistan)

Business:


Ultimate:

(IF a separate character from the first Vistan I posted)

Home Basic:

(I may consider this the same character as Visbou, due to similar hairstyle, colors, etc)

[Nichi]

I personally consider the Home Premium one to be "official". I like the design; simple, but still looks good

Although, the Business one is nice; reminding me a little bit of 2k-tan
Blue hair. Me gusta