Berkeley and server names

Many of you know I am a professional computer person. I am also a military person. Here is where the two come together.

Through a rather convaluted set of circumstances, I became aware of one of the e-mail server names that UC Berkeley has. It is zahedan.eecs.berkeley.edu.

Typically, when a computer person names a server, there is some reason behind it. I have heard of naming conventions including snack foods, Comic books and (ours at CU) Disciples. So, when I saw this name, I wondered what zahedan was. I was curious.

Now many of you have seen my post about Berkeley the town and its response to the miltary and some suggested response from the military community.

Anyway, zehedan:

Zahedan, city in southeastern Iran, located near the borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan, the capital of Sistan and Baluchistan province at altitude of 1,352 m from sea level at a distance of 1,605 km from Tehran.

Lying east of the "Kavir-e Loot" desert, Zahedan used to be called "Dozdab", as it was the meeting place of bandits. "Dozd" means robbers and bandits. "Ab" means water or a place of water. Bandits used to frequent the place for their drinking water.



Why do they have a server named after an Iranian city??? Oh well. I guess the fighter jockeys can just have a better excuse for why they got the wrong zahedan. "Oh, I thought you meant the server at Berkeley. Oops."

Aloha.