technical analysis
Here are the results from my earlier poll on criteria for name comparisons. I've included information about the rules as they currently stand, and put a group in bold if its response agreed with the current rules.
( poll results )
Unsurprisingly, heralds are more likely to agree with the rules as they currently stand. For cases like Hob vs. Robert, this makes sense: onomastics geeks are more likely to know and care that Hob is a nickname for Robert. But why do Ronald and Donald seem too similar to some heralds, and easily distinguishable to everyone else? My hypothesis is that most people consider similarity in sound and similarity of meaning together: if two names sound similar and could be construed as two different descriptions of the same person, a conflict seems reasonable. The Rules for Submissions say there's a conflict if two names sound too similar or come too close in meaning.
( poll results )
Unsurprisingly, heralds are more likely to agree with the rules as they currently stand. For cases like Hob vs. Robert, this makes sense: onomastics geeks are more likely to know and care that Hob is a nickname for Robert. But why do Ronald and Donald seem too similar to some heralds, and easily distinguishable to everyone else? My hypothesis is that most people consider similarity in sound and similarity of meaning together: if two names sound similar and could be construed as two different descriptions of the same person, a conflict seems reasonable. The Rules for Submissions say there's a conflict if two names sound too similar or come too close in meaning.