Chinese dragon/long has 4 paws, and 2024 is a Chinese Dragon/Long Year.
亢龙有悔 飞龙在天 见龙在田 潜龙勿用
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Why i doesn’t like about the pangolin is, panfolin is going to extinction, and only get out at night, timid
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Haha yes, the pangolion is not vital enough; we need something with more energy, like a dragon 
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Because Scala is a pioneer in many fields, I think it’s better to choose something positive. Pangolins are cute, but they are endangered and easily associated with extinction. Rust chose crabs because there are too many of them.
The year 2024 happens to be the Year of the Dragon according to the Chinese lunar calendar. The Chinese dragon is a symbol of power and prosperity, and it also has a good connotation. There are many beautiful marble dragon pillars as well. Additionally, the dragon has a left and right spiral, which was also used by ancient Chinese emperors to refer to themselves as the true dragon emperor.
One can imagine a red Chinese dragon gracefully wrapped around the pillars, climbing upwards like a spiral. The image of the dragon is strong and powerful, and the scales and whiskers are rich in details. The dragon’s head is high and upward, giving people a meticulous and solemn feeling. Adding Scala’s logo on the dragon’s back or side makes the entire design have both traditional Chinese heritage and elements of modern technology. The main color is bright red, which symbolizes strength and vitality.
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For reference, two previous covers.
A dragon is just a really “long” pangolin, which is why it’s called that in Chinese. It’s the wiener dog of mythical beasts.
No doubt, the pangolin itself is a dragon that has magically shrunk so that it may pass unnoticed in the modern world. To this day, there are more recorded pangolins than dragons in the natural history books.
OED says “pangolin” is Malay for “roller”, and was the name for M. javanica, from Java.
Wikipangolin has further info. They sound more and more like software engineers:
Pangolins are solitary and meet only to mate, with mating typically taking place at night after the male and female pangolin meet near a watering hole. Rather than the males seeking out the females, males mark their location and the females find them.
I have no suggestion for a Scala mascot, but I do have one concern about some of the suggestions I have seen.
I would be careful about a dragon-like mascot that can be associated with the Chinese government, even subconsciously. The current government of China is very repressive, and some think it is a model for what is currently happening the West.
Yes, I realize that China has a long and great history, but its history since the Cultural Revolution is obviously not something to be admired, and the Chinese people are of course the main victims. Most in the West have no clue how little freedom the Chinese people have. I could cite some alarming examples, but this is clearly not the place for it.
I will continue to use Scala regardless of the mascot, but I just wanted to get this concern out there, for whatever it is worth.
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Chinese government’s logo is not Chinese loong/dragon, it’s not in the constitution, and we can buy loong doll everywhere
龙者，能大能小，能升能隐。大则兴云吐雾，小则隐介藏形。升则飞腾于宇宙之间，隐则潜伏于波涛之内。方今春深，龙乘时变化，犹人得志而纵横四海。夫英雄者，胸怀大志，腹有良谋。有包藏宇宙之机，吞吐天地之志也！
You can translate to English as:
The loong, capable of expanding or contracting in size, of ascending or concealing itself. When it grows large, it can raise clouds and exhale mist; when it becomes small, it can hide its form as if it were the smallest of creatures. In ascent, it flies through the universe; in concealment, it lurks within the depths of the surging waves. Now, as spring deepens, the loong transforms with the season, akin to a person of ambition who dominates the four seas. Such a hero, with grand aspirations in their heart and strategic wisdom in their mind, holds within themselves the workings of the universe and harbors the ambition to embrace all that lies between heaven and earth!
Loong has nothing to do with the gov, just another kind of creature
There is a movie 《D-War》 from Korea, does that cause any issue ？
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Maybe what Scala needs is an official ascot.
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https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/stairs-leading-up-to-heavenly-sky
-toward-the-light-gm954305374-260544953
How about a stairway to heaven? Just kidding.
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Can Pangolins fly or deep dive?
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Chinese dragons are more conducive to promoting scala. Dragons are the oldest creatures and have some association with scala’s icons. Everyone knows about dragons, they are very cool and powerful. Words related to dragons are all positive words.
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Also Ubuntu had Precise Pangolin for 12.04. That may have been when I started using Ubuntu, so I should probably recuse myself at this point.
I’ll quote this PC World article on Ubuntu mascots just so it’s in the official record:
“I’ve recently spent a few hours tracking a pangolin through the Kalahari. I can vouch for their precision–there wasn’t an ant hill in the valley that he missed. Their scales are a wonder of detail and quite the fashion statement. I can also vouch for their toughness; pangolin’s regularly survive encounters with lions. All in all, a perfect fit. There’s no sassier character, and no more cheerful digger, anywhere in those desert plains. If you want a plucky partner, the pangolin’s your match.”
The pun on match keyword is just a coincidence.
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it is so cool !
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cool
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In a few more days, it will be the Chinese Spring Festival. The Year of the Dragon is here. If the dragon becomes a mascot, it will attract a lot of attention, cool.
A dragon has another benefit over pangolin, in that it’s long/slender body can easily be made to look like an S.
Example ai generated image:
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I recommend using the Chinese Loong. The reason to note is that this mythical creature, known as “Loong” in Chinese, possesses powerful abilities and excels in transformation. It can become as tiny as a mustard seed or as majestic and colossal as a mountain. It is capable of soaring to the infinite heights of the celestial realm and delving into the depths of profound abysses. These characteristics of the Loong perfectly align with the principles and features of the Scala language, which are described as “powerful, full of strength, scalable, and widely applicable.”
Additionally, the Chinese Loong, as an ancient legendary creature, has always been a symbol of auspiciousness, embodying the beautiful aspirations of countless people. However, it is not a symbol with overt political connotations; rather, it is more of a folkloric totem. The Loong’s image is diverse, ranging from solemn and grand to humorous and witty. If we choose it as Scala’s mascot, a high-quality redesign may be necessary to better suit our needs.
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I wouldn’t comment on or judge Russ’s reply, I completely agree that mascot should not associate or affiliate to any specific government.
The only point I wish to make is that although the Chinese dragon originated in China, it has became a general totem, mascot, and legend throughout whole East Asia, including Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, etc… For instance, Japan has its own variation of the Chinese dragon known as Yamata no Orochi (Japanese Dragon), which features in its history.
Hence, we could adopt the more neutral and unbiased name “Loong” for our mascot.
As @ryanstull shown, Loong, it’s very cool and not conflict with dragon from LLVM.
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