Rename Furnace to something more googlable

[axredneck]

Maybe something like OpenMask, ChipFurnace, OpenChipTuner etc so it would be easier to stumble upon your project or find tutorials in future.

[tildearrow]

ChipFurnace sounds like a good idea, but I wanted the name to be simple (not the best at naming).
I may consider it. Thank you!

[Soulchip]

ChipFurnace sounds like a good idea, but I wanted the name to be simple (not the best at naming). I may consider it. Thank you!

I´m going to be honest, the name of this tracker is very hard to find on google, I was not aware of it until one day I searched for "trackers like deflemask" and this came up on a very dark corner of the internet in a deep unknown forum for a webpage I haven't seen before.

I use Deflemask and I was starting to migrate all my work to Furnace because I hate how slow Deflemask development is and how close minded the developers are...

With that in mind, please DO NO rename Furnace to FurnaceMask or OpenMask or anything like that... Making this tracker compatible with deflemask was an excellent idea because it let's people like me switch and migrate all work done there and start working everything on Furnace... but I think that the naming should be kept as far as possible from Deflemask.

To be honest, I think using the word TRACKER is the best way to make this program come up a lot more on google searches... I understand the word tracker is on the readme file, but it is not an official part of the title. Also I think there already exist something called Furnace Tracker.

FireTracker sounds amazing but I have seen that used too... InfernoTracker sounds incredible... ChipFurnace doesn't sound catchy...

I think the best may be to move away from the word "furnace" and come up with something completely original.

FurnTracker, FurnaceChipStudio could be an option, but I'm very strong on keeping the word tracker on it, so FurnChip Tracker...

You can also try Furnace in other languages... I speak spanish, Furnace is called Horno in spanish...it sound a little stupid to my taste, but maybe everybody else likes it.

HornoTracker lol XD
KamadoTracker (Japanese) (wow that sounds amazing to me)
FornaxTracker (Latin)
KáminoTracker (Greek)

FornaxTracker or KamadoTracker sounds amazing

[real-nevergonnagiveyouup]

ChipFurnace sounds like a good idea, but I wanted the name to be simple (not the best at naming). I may consider it. Thank you!

Maybe "aitaTracker" would be cool!

[Degamisu]

ChipFurnace sounds like a good idea, but I wanted the name to be simple (not the best at naming). I may consider it. Thank you!

Maybe "aitaTracker" would be cool!

well, that wouldnt be too good 🤣.

aita definition

[Abdullah-Ajeebi]

ChipFurnace sounds like a good idea, but I wanted the name to be simple (not the best at naming). I may consider it. Thank you!

Maybe "aitaTracker" would be cool!

well, that wouldnt be too good 🤣.

aita definition

Oh no indeed.

[freq-mod]

OpenMask sounds cool IMO

[cyberic99]

I think OpenMask could be seen as a kind of aggression by deflemask developers.

Also, for some features, furnace already goes way beyond what deflemask can do, like handling simultaneous, arbitrary sound chips, so I don't know if choosing a name that encourages comparison to deflemask is a good idea.

Deflemask compatibility is a (major) feature, but having a 'Mask' name would IMO make the users think that furnace is only a kind of 'open source clone' of deflemask

[Degamisu]

Yeah, it could also possibly (small chance) be a copyright claim as well. "OpenMask" sounds too close to Deflemask

[freq-mod]

Yeah, you may be right.. staying in "furnace" theme, how about FireTracker?

[cyberic99]

how about FireTracker?

I like it, but there are already some existing github repos with this name ;-(

[freq-mod]

IceTracker then 🤣

[livvy94]

Maybe IngotTracker? To keep the furnace/molten metal kinda theme

[freq-mod]

InfernoTracker

[BlastBrothers]

FYI: Chip Furnace is taken by a Youtube channel.

[tildearrow]

That's too bad since it was my to-go choice if Furnace wasn't suitable for visibility...

[aquamarine-axo]

IMO the word 'tracker' is a bit overused in the world of music tracking software. Perhaps something like FSD (Furnace Sound Designer) is more suitable instead, since it still does reflect on what the software does while making it a little more google-able and it also keeps the original name in the title so people who don't know about the software under its new name (if it gets this name of course) but remember Furnace (perhaps an older update) may be more inclined to click on the repo again because they may still be able to tell that it's Furnace.

[Degamisu]

Well, it still is a tracker. Can't really get that out of the picture.

[tildearrow]

FurnaceSD! Or FurnaceCS (Furnace Chiptune Studio)

[aquamarine-axo]

Yeah, those names might work pretty well as well. Using that might also make it a little shorter to google as well.

[tildearrow]

I am going to carry this issue to a discussion as I am really convinced on renaming this tracker to FurnaceCS but I would like to make sure everyone is OK with the change.

[freq-mod]

Well, I would rather have it like InfernoChipStudio(CS), but I can't force it on anybody. I will accept FurnaceCS

[cyberic99]

BurningTracker ?

[webriprob]

Furnace CS immediately makes me think "Furnace Computer Science"
There's nothing wrong with using "Tracker" imo as it's very descriptive, and it will help people find furnace when googling the word "Tracker"

[akumanatt]

TODOtracker

Where todo (pronounced toh-doh) here is a Portuguese and Spanish word that means "all / everything"

[nobuyukinyuu]

FurnaceTracker as one word seems like it would do the trick.

[aquamarine-axo]

As far as I'm aware, this already exists, but for literal furnaces, which may make it harder to google.

[ZeroByteOrg]

Since this tracker can command so many different chips in any combination you can imagine, it makes me think of an orchestra, which makes me think of it as the conductor, so ChipConductor might be kinda nifty - with the double meaning of conductor - or BitConductor

[aquamarine-axo]

I second this.

[9Skrip]

ChipSemiConductor

[pjagiello]

I don't know if this name change went "official" or not but I just discovered this program because a video with "Furnace Tracker" in the title got recommended to me on Youtube, so it seems people already are calling it like that. I don't think there is anything overused about the word "tracker", it's clearly what it is and I think it makes finding the software easier.

[tildearrow]

The program is still called Furnace - the name "Furnace Tracker" is only used in the title of README.md for clarification on what the program actually is.

[9Skrip]

OastTracker

[alexmyczko]

I buy a T

[MBYlt]

Letting Google influence the project name is a mistake. It, imo, saps the soul from the project without adding much in return. If people can't figure out how to search for Furnace with that name, then maybe they're too dumb to be a concern.

[Soulchip]

what a nice person.

[relic374]

I'm necroing at this point, but I just wanted to add that I think the general name for it that people use besides just Furnace is furnace tracker. And I somewhat agree with MBYIt. Changing the name to be more searchable by google would be pointless. If someone searches up furnace and they don't find the tracker, they'll just search up furnace music tracker or something along those lines and it'll be the first link.

[TCORPStudios]

I think something like "TildeFurnace" or "ArrowFurnace" would not only be unique, but also have a part of @tildearrow 's name in it.

[bryc]

I like Furnace Studio. It keeps the Furnace name and isn't overly verbose/specific. And would be more fitting when the piano roll rolls around.

[MBYlt]

_____ Studio just conjures up bad corporate vector art, stock photographs of well-groomed trendy people smiling vacantly, and links to "Our Statement" and "For Investors".

[bryc]

Didn't you just post that "letting Google influence the project name is a mistake"? And here you are saying a name is bad because of search results.

[MBYlt]

Do you really not understand that search results and connotations are two completely different things?

[bryc]

Yeah, I'd say just keep it as-is. There doesn't need to be an official name change. People know it as Furnace. And as time goes on, search engines will catch on and learn to show Furnace when adding certain other keywords.

[tildearrow]

UPDATE

It appears there is a commercial VST plugin that happens to be called Furnace.
It is believed that this plugin was released in November 2021, two months before most people found out about Furnace (tracker), and five months after I adopted the name Furnace.

I am not sure if this is enough to demand an immediate name change.

[MBYlt]

The "plugin" isn't really much of a plugin. Basically it's just a sample pack prewired to a player with some basic effects controls. What would have called a "ROMpler" back in the day.

Anyway, not really sure what the relevance of "commercial" is in that context. Legally speaking, you're obviously in the clear. Practically speaking, it's more a matter of 1. The plugin is relatively obscure and absolutely going to stay that way, forever submerged in the vast ocean of cheesy crap marketed to people churning out undistinguished SoundCloud rap, and 2. The plugin covers a pretty different territory, it's not likely to be confused with a tracker or vice-versa.

[bryc]

Have a backup plan just in case they catch wind and decide to be bullies. Those companies are often scummy. Though I doubt they have or would be willing to get a legit trademark on the name "Furnace"

[mmontag]

Keep in mind that Google is dynamic; as the project gains popularity it will easily take the top spots for "Furnace Tracker" and the like. I came across Furnace a year ago on Twitter and recalled it without difficulty - so in my opinion, it's a really nice and catchy name. Better than "DefleMask" or "OpenMPT" 😜

[real-nevergonnagiveyouup]

Ferna sounds cool, but that's the name of an artist, so maybe MultiSST (Multi-System Sound Tracker).

[Degamisu]

In all honesty, I do not like the names with "Open" with them. It feels like "Open" would be too generic. There is a lot of open source trackers, but adding "Open" to it would make it feel like its just marketing that its free, which is what a lot of worse trackers do to get funding and popularity. Something like Inferno or Inferno Tracker would definitely fit the professional + unique design of the tracker, without marketing to get involved. It also sounds hella cool!