Names: they are culture and identity maps, not a rose
Big picture goals: remove top-down dictat; enable cultural expression, individual evolution, and long-term pattern emergence.
Remember guideline #2: Don't be the asshole.
"A rose by any other name smells as sweet." It's a great line, and in context hits the romance intended: I love you for being you. But at no point did Romeo tell Juliet her name sucked, was confusing, he couldn't pronounce it, or it didn't fit the right pattern.
Telling people what their name can be is an asshole move. It not only dehumanizes people; it sidelines their culture, that culture's way of looking at the world, and how they orient themselves in their culture and world.
Our current database setups go even further: be acceptable, or stop existing.
Or, the short version: we're assholes.
That we're still asking for first and last names as a best practice is one of the reasons I tend to think "best practice" is bullshit.
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