Re-Writing History

Pete and I agree on most things. We are a good balance. My boundless enthusiasm and his cautious nature balance like a yacht running before a brisk wind with a steadying sea anchor deployed. So it comes as a surprise we cannot agree on something as simple as a name for the robot.

Part of the problem is the name in question has become embedded into the code, making it harder to eliminate all reference to it. It would also be a damned sight easier if the name wasn't so descriptive and apt.

Over the past few months as things have started to come together I have found myself saying something like, "I wish I could claim brilliance and foresight about {this latest wonder} but if I did I would just be re-writing history." Which brings me back to the name in question, Trinity.

One evening after a long day of forcing together three independent expert system structures into one operational unit, I was watching a DVD. The Matrix. The code I was working on had a working title but now the module needed naming. In the middle of the DVD the character called Trinity appeared. And that was it. Since then the main robotic module has had the name Trinity.

If I was inclined to re-write history this story would run slightly differently, a little like this in fact:

Our robot models a basic human reasoning structure that follows a BE-DO-HAVE format. These three components may be thought of as providing a planning process, a process that collects the material and data needed to complete the tasks planned and finally the execution of the tasks with feed back of the results to the planning stage so corrective action can be built into the next round. We chose the name Trinity to describe this neat three stage representation encoded into our expert systems.

Pete still doesn't like the name, with its obvious religious connections. I'm somewhat stuck with it and have got used to it. Fortunately released robots are given different names, so this 'under the hood' name doesn't have too much public exposure. Perhaps I should just claim brilliant forsight and just get on with life...