Mug's Unlike GNU

GNU Mug is designed to encourage thought and reflection on the philosophy of the GNU project, both at and away from the computer screen, whilst aiding support for the GNU project.

The GNU MUG project itself will result in the creation of hardware which is both practical and reliable, ideal for hackers who wish to concentrate on their programming without having to be regularly disturbed by the need for liquid refreshment.

You may help this project by making new artwork and suggesting design improvements. The project will be ongoing. The first production run of GNU MUG will be version 1.0. The mug will be revised and re-designed over time so suggestions and artwork which you contribute can be rolled into future versions.

Current artwork in the form of Open Office Draw files, and screen shots of the current design can be downloaded from the CVS repository. This project is part of the GNU project on Savannah.

The Project Mailing List on gnu.org is: http://mail.gnu.org/pipermail/mug-discuss/

The Project Homepage on gnu.org is: http://www.gnu.org/software/mug/

The Project Operations page is: http://savannah.gnu.org/projects/mug

The project's introductory CVS page is: http://savannah.gnu.org/cvs/?group=mug

The CVS page itself contains OpenOffice Draw files and screenshots: http://savannah.gnu.org/cgi-bin/viewcvs/mug/mug/

General Specifications

Physical Design notes

1 pint capacity reduces the number of times the hacker will need to visit the kettle to make a drink. The larger size of the mug will ensure the drink will remain warm longer due to the increased heat capacity of the material and the lower surface to volume ratio

A shape which is a wide as it is high will result in a very stable mug with a low centre of gravity. Therefore less likely to be inadvertently knocked over valuable computer equipment

A white colour will emit a lower level of blackbody radiation. Less heat will be emitted from a light colour, white or polished metal mug in the form of infra-red radiation. Therefore the drink will stay hotter longer

Bone china is a traditional, light weight, high strength material used in the manufacture of the highest quality drinking vessels. I have commissioned potteries in Staffordshire, England, home of famous potteries such as Josiah Wedgewood, to make mold designs and prepare for manufacture of the GNU mug. To fill demand until the final bone china GNU mug is available, we may need to run a limited number in the heavier earthenware material. Considering Bone China mugs often weigh half as much as earthenware or porcelain mugs, there are compelling financial reasons to opt for the more costly, higher quality bone china. The lower cost of air mailing a bone china mug will offset the increased cost of production whilst providing a higher quality finished article.

Artistic Design Notes

The design should reflect the philosophy of the GNU project in few, thought provoking words. On the initial design, I have chosen to list the 4 basic freedoms for software to count as free. These have been re-worded for brevity. Please see the sources on CVS for the current version of the wording and overall design.

Wording for pre-production version 0.1

You have the freedom with GNU software to:
000 Use it for any purpose
001 Study and adapt it for your needs
010 Re-distribute copies so you can help your neighbour
011 Improve and release your improvements to the public so the whole community benefits

Pictures of a mock version based on v.0.1 design files
Front of mugback of mugunderside of mug

Please use the savannah services or email me at audio-recordings@gnu.org with any ideas or ways you can help.

How is MUG Unlike GNU?

This project will differ from most parts of the GNU in several ways.

Some ways it is Like GNU

Suggested Changes:

Wording after suggested changes:

You have the freedom with GNU software to:
000 Use it for any purpose
001 Study and adapt it for your needs
010 Re-distribute copies so you can help others
011 Improve and release your improvements to the public so the whole community benefits

Updated: $Date: 2002/11/24 21:47:06 $ $Author: nickhill $