=][= USER GROUP NAME CHANGES =][=

[Brother Tyler]

We have changed the names of a couple of user groups (this won't affect the vast majority of you).

 

As you can tell, we use a sort of pseudo-Latin for most of our user group names. Actually, we drew upon thematic names from the Warhammer 40,000 setting, but many of the High Gothic names are derived from Latin, so we followed suit way back when the site was first created in 1999. Back at that time, there were originally three ranks:

• Frater Domus (everyone that mattered)
• Moderati (the moderators)
• Administratum (the administrators)

Eventually, we reached a point where moderators retired from their duties, at which point a new user group was created, the Moderati Cedo ("cedo" meaning to yield, as in these members had yielded their duties).

 

Also, as we later expanded the user groups, we had members retiring from other staff positions. Our only "retired" user group was the Moderati Cedo, so that is the group into which all former staff members were placed. Over time, however, it occurred to us that not all members in that group had served in a moderator position, so the "Moderati" portion of the name was inaccurate. At that point, we removed "Moderati" and the group became simply "Cedo."

 

Recently, the members of the staff discussed adjusting some of these names to achieve a level of consistency. Deciding that "Moderati" was a solid name, both for its evocation of in-universe themes (the senior crew members that control portions of Imperial Titans) as well as for the ease of associating it with the English equivalent. While the proper singular is "moderatus" we have chosen to name the group as a whole, not individuals. Since we wanted to focus less on the "yielding" portion and more on recognizing that former staff members had made significant contributions to the site while performing staff work (in addition to those they made and continue to make as hobbyists), we looked to other Latin words, deciding upon "Emeriti" (singular "Emeritus") as a suitable replacement. With the adoption of a proper ~i plural ending, we also changed the administrators from "Administratum" to "Administrati" in the interest of consistency.

 

Not all user groups have these pseudo-Latin titles. For example, there are the Sacristans (our technical experts and design managers), the Librarians (the folks that assist members in the publication of articles), and the Chief Librarians (the folks that coordinate the efforts of the Librarians). These names, too, draw upon the in-universe themes (Sacristans being the technicians and artists of the Imperial Knights and the [Chief] Librarians of the Adeptus Astartes).

 

So if you did a doubletake upon noticing that some of the user group names have changed, you weren't imagining things (and your powers of observation merit commendations from the Chaplains).

 

Overall, this was just a small cosmetic change - nothing substantive.

 

Carry on.

[phandaal]

'What's this, then? "Romanes Eunt Domus"? "People called Romanes, they go the house"?'

 

[Brother Tyler]

That scene flashes through my brain every time I attempt to craft any of our pseudo-Latin.

[Gillyfish]

Indeed. "Rosa sum ergo spam sum" - 'I'm pink, therefore I'm spam.'

 

Other bad latin jokes are available. 

 

GW's latin is probably closer to medieval latin in that it is not grammatically correct and often sounds better than it is accurate, so we are following suit. Honest. That's totally what it is...

[Chaplain Lucifer]

I see Gillyfish is an administrati. (late) congratulations!