|
This page is meant to explain why we chose the name Xcanopus for our
website. 'Canopus' has many different meanings in the different contexts
it is used.
Although Canopus is about 650 light-years away from the earth,
it is only half a magnitude fainter than the brightest star, Sirius, which
is 8.8 light-years distant, Because of its brightness. Firstly and most
significantly, Canopus is a star in the Southern constellation of Argo
/*Argo Navis, in ancient astronomy, constellation in the southern
hemisphere, extending from Canis Major to the Southern Cross and including
part of the Milky Way. Representing Argo, the ship of the Argonauts, the
constellation has been reclassified as separate constellations by modern
astronomers. The main divisions are Carina (the Keel), Puppis (the Stern),
and Vela (the Sails). Canopus, the principal star in the constellation, is
the second brightest star in the heavens*/. It is the second brightest
star in the night sky and is thousands of times more luminous than the
sun. It is a yellow white super giant. Canopus is used as a reference
point for navigation of spacecraft launched on interplanetary missions.
Like our astronomical namesake, we expect this endeavor to be brilliant
and ever shining.
Secondly, Canopus was an ancient city in northern Egypt, close
to Alexandria /*The ancient Egyptian temple city of Canopus was located
near Abū Qīr*/. It was a land of wealth and pleasures. It was the site of
the great temple honoring Serapis, a place so historically rich and
vibrant. We want Xcanopus to be a rich, vibrant and satisfying experience.
Thirdly, the HMS Canopus was a huge British first class battle
ship of historical importance, launched in 1879 and much celebrated after
it successfully ambushed a German squadron in the battle of the Falklands
in the December of 1914. We are swift, deadly and effective too, much like
the ship.
Now, the 'X' in Xcanopus has an interesting connection. The 'X' is here to
signify 'Linux'. All of us at Xcanopus respect and adore Linux, the
torch-bearer of the open source software movement. For us, Xcanopus refers
to the ancient city for all the wealth that Linux has for us. This place
promises to be a haven for Linux aficionados, a temple for Linux, if will
call it that, because, today, Linux has come to signify freedom,
liberation from the constraints of proprietary information, and is, in its
own subtle but effective way, helping bridge communal, geopolitical, and
racial boundaries by involving people in remote corners in a combined
development initiative, thereby making the world a better and brighter
home for us all. This place is a tribute to Linux, the way the city of
Canopus was to Serapis. We believe that real freedom is the freedom of
expression and of thought. We believe it is time we worked towards
achieving freedom /*freedom of thought*/ from the constraints that come
with proprietary source code and monopolistic trade practices. So here's
to Linux and the free software foundation. Let us also celebrate that
freedom that the Internet has come to be synonymous with, and let us carry
on ahead with our dream of a truly 'free world'. We want this website to
be our own small but firm, first step in making that dream a reality. We
hope you enjoy your time at Xcanopus as much as we do ours, working on it.
This site will be forever under construction 'coz we guys like to
change and also keep ourselves and you updated, we like moving stuff
around, WE ARE DYNAMIC, but most of all, to truly reflect our Indian
culture (always under construction).
But finally we'd like to sign off quoting "well whatever never mind" (WWNM). |
|
