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.
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 ？
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.
“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.”
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.
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.
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.
Agree, since Oriental loong has a broad meaning and is very compatible with the pioneering spirit of Scala, I think Professor Martin has the temperament of loong. At least in the field of programming language theory, he has created many pioneering works。
But is loong a creature? where it lives? how can an animal “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”??
For what it worths, I don’t think scala is a dragon.
Everyone as some point wants to be one, or have one as a mascot, it’s just common - not something I often saw associated with Scala, and using a dragon feels even a bit conceited. But dragon’s mythology varies a lot, and we can’t dismiss all the ones where they are just extremely evil creatures, hoarding money and not caring at all for the people and the communities, even if at some point in the past, it may have fitted scala. It’s really not the part I want to get projected with a mascot for scala.
Plus, they are extinct.
The pengolin is just so fitting, from the strange mamal, to the scale, and all what was said above, up to the fact that it is said to be on the verge of extinction, and @neur0dev propositiond are so cute.
I won’t wait for an official blessing if it ever comes, I will just use them.
Some west dragons like the Smaug act just like what you said, but that’s just in novel.
And the loong is a legendary creature responsible for good weather conditions and abundant rainfall in a certain place, which can also be referred to as the god of harvest.
