So, why do I name my computers? Well, because when I only had ONE, it was simply 'my computer', but now that I have several I need a way to identify them in conversation without having to describe them in too much detail, like 'the main computer with the PIII-866 CPU and 60gb HD' or 'The new Linux box with P240MMX and 3 scsi HDs'. See my point? Far easier to describe them by name.

My main Windows 2000 unit is Trotsky, my Dell Red Hat 9 unit is Rasputin, and the defunct RH8 system that never worked right is called Stalin. It's disconnected and in the closet with the other spare parts.

In the future, I will likely keep to this convention of using old soviet names from history. Why? I dunno. I like them.

Trotsky, Kamenev and Zinoviev attempted to form an opposing force to Stalin in 1926 but it was too late - Stalin had consolidated his power and had made friends with Bukharin, Rykov and Tomsky. Trotsky was assasinated soon after.

Rasputin was also assassinated, and I like his story as well, so as the underdog and rebel, he gets to be the Linux box.

There are even official documents about naming conventions and methods, sources for names, warnings about potential problems, etc. I have provided three very good links if you wish to pursue this issue further.