sitename: /si:t'naym/ n. [Unix/Internet] The unique electronic
name of a computer system, used to identify it in UUCP mail, Usenet,
or other forms of electronic information interchange. The folklore
interest of sitenames stems from the creativity and humor they often
display. Interpreting a sitename is not unlike interpreting a
vanity license plate; one has to mentally unpack it, allowing for
mono-case and length restrictions and the lack of whitespace.
Hacker tradition deprecates dull, institutional-sounding names in
favor of punchy, humorous, and clever coinages (except that it is
considered appropriate for the official public gateway machine of an
organization to bear the organization's name or acronym).
Mythological references, cartoon characters, animal names, and
allusions to SF or fantasy literature are probably the most popular
sources for sitenames (in roughly descending order). The obligatory
comment when discussing these is Harris's Lament: "All the good ones
are taken!" See also network address.
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