Coming Up for Air

The Front Porch Test

Wednesday, Jun 7, 2006 |

The Front Porch Test

Jason Lee 2006-06-07

Everyone knows that one of the most important things a software project is a good name, but coming up with a good name is not easy. To help with the process, we apply what my boss, Mitch, refers to as the front porch test, which is actually a rule of thumb from the pet world. It goes like this:

When picking a name for a dog, imagine yourself standing on the front porch yelling the dog's name out into the neighborhood. If you think you'd feel like an idiot yelling that name, then choose something else. _Replace "dog" with "program" and you should get the idea.