Choosing a name is not an easy task, even if it’s modest website. For me, it should represent the site’s content and purpose —somehow—, which in this case is to showcase the fractal pictures and other related content I author occasionally. By definition, a name is an identification, or identifier, a means to distinguish the given from the rest of the world it relates to. And for that reason, the more unique, the better, first because it won’t confuse visitors, who will immediately know where they are, and second it won’t conflict with existing providers of similar content.
The first name I used for this website —or more properly its beginnings— was Fractal Division. It didn’t seem that bad: it reflected what I explained above, and was unique among fractal-related sites at the time. Nevertheless, I felt it wasn’t entirely genuine, since I drew inspiration from a preexisting music group (as stated somewhere else), and eventually I decided it needed a change.
Yet, the site kept that title for about a year, until 1999, when I started to refer to some part of it (hosted on a different server) as third apex to Fractovia. Unlike the first, it was original —born from my own invention— and was still easy to relate to fractals, since the portmanteau (from fractal and the Spanish equivalent of Polish “-ów”, meaning “town”; together, “fractal town”) directly hinted at its content. So it quickly rooted and soon became the whole site’s identity.
Regrettably, others also took a liking to the wording, and without consultation picked the ID for their own during a time when my recurring disconnections kept me away from the web and unaware of a need to renew the domain. At first it was another fractal (con) artist, then an emerging company. Yet, it was the first-come-first-served policy of domain name registrars what sealed the fate of my website’s use of its own name ever since.
Regardless of that misfortune, I kept using the name because it was “mine”, it was already known in the fractal art community, and it had spread over the Internet. It was only after the site had been dormant for a decade that the name began to wane. With it also went away my compulsion to maintain it.
When I resolved to revitalize the site, I decided that I’d only do so under a different name. I could still hold on to fractovia if I wanted to, as my brainchild, but what would be the point? Just stubbornness? It wasn’t really that, but a more practical logic: I would have to forge a new identity for something already defined. I was mentally at odds with that idea, so it kept blocking my linguistic machinations, as I was aiming for another portmanteau. Yet, writing a simple post just two days ago gave me a sound hint to pursue.
At the end of that monologue, I concluded that Quaint Dimensions could be a keeper. While the first word fit the style typifying my images (as self-defined by yours truly, so don’t get that as an accurate evaluation), the second one directed the attention to an important characteristic of these figures: their fractional dimensions. Needless to say, I thought it was a winner right away. To ensure it wasn’t in use by another fractal enthusiast, I did a quick search that confirmed it didn’t point to any other prominent or popular site. However, “dimension” reminded me of something, so I kept looking further.
My suspicion proved right. At first, I wondered if it was some sort of software, but then I remembered a similar handle among the Infinite Fractal Loop’s member sites: an old but still active website with useful information and a pretty close name: Hidden Dimension (that same title is also in use by some kind of card game). That was a major strike against rule #2. On top of that, there are numerous references to the phrase: some tied to a NOVA documentary on the subject, and others to scientific and philosophical discussions that incorporate fractal theory or dimensional concepts. Hence, introspection must continue.
Searching for a substitute word to accompany quaint (the quickest solution), and with fractals back in mind, I landed on symmetry as a strong referent: it not only pertains to fractals —even helping to define them— but also closely tied to mathematics (particularly geometry) and the arts. And the good news: it’s not in use in the Loop!
So the site that began as Fractal Division, later became Fractovia, and then briefly turned into Quaint Dimensions, has now arrived at Quaint Symmetries… at least for now. Whether it sticks, only time will tell.
Revised on 2025 April 19 for clarity.