Dr. Martin Rundkvist is a Swedish archaeologist, journal editor, public speaker, skeptic, atheist, lefty liberal, bookworm, and father of two.
In a somewhat less subculture-savvy move, an Internet service provider in Gothenburg has chosen to call itself GothNet. Nothing on their web site suggests that they have any inkling what "Goth" means to most English-speaking people today.
The etymology is complicated. First there was a bunch of Germanic-speaking tribal groups in the 1st Millennium AD: Goths, Götar, Geatas, Gutar, all with names meaning "spillers", that is, "ejaculators", that is, "men". Then during the Renaissance the High Medieval building style with the pointy arches got called "Gothic" as a put-down. (Then Gothenburg-Göteborg was founded in an area once settled by Götar.) Then a Romantic horror fiction genre set in old buildings got called Gothic. Then an 80s post-punk subculture got called Gothic because of the members' vampiric looks and nocturnal habits. And that's why GothNet is such a silly name for an ISP catering to suburban breeders.
Update same evening: Here's Paddy K's vastly improved version:
Comments
Just a single tiny goth reference in the photo somewhere would have made this an instant classic. Some people in black leather robes hanging around in the background, ravens sitting on a wall, anything. Missed opportunity!
Posted by: Paddy | September 17, 2009 8:36 AM
Or they could flash animate the thing to have Andrew Eldritch stalk across the scene every 5 minutes.
Posted by: Martin R | September 17, 2009 8:50 AM
There you go:
http://paddyk.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/gothnet21.jpg
Posted by: Paddy | September 17, 2009 8:52 AM
well, if it hadn't been for that ellipsis there, there might've been a shade of a connection...
Posted by: Nomen Nescio | September 17, 2009 9:03 AM
Well done.
Posted by: Mike Olson | September 17, 2009 1:49 PM
Yay, Paddy, awesome!
Posted by: Martin R | September 17, 2009 3:09 PM
It's very funny, and I do like Paddy's version! It seems slightly odd from a business perspective if the ISP didn't notice (or care?) that there is a goth.net and various other subcultural sites with similar URLs already in existence.
Posted by: Claire | September 18, 2009 4:30 AM
Hey Martin, now google has started decorating your page with goth ads. There's a cracker just to the right of this comment box. It's like evil magic. The more times you repeat the incantation, the more goths you summon. Goth goth goth ...
Posted by: dustbubble | September 20, 2009 3:08 PM