# RFC 1178 (FYI 5): Choosing a Name for Your Computer

> D. Libes, Integrated Systems Group, NIST, August 1990. Establishes the long-standing argument that a computer name works best as an arbitrary tag rather than a description, because a name chosen from a machine’s current role does not stay appropriate. It is about host names rather than physical position identifiers, and states no requirement for either.

Canonical page: https://datacenterlabeling.com/references/s65

Original source: [RFC 1178 (FYI 5): Choosing a Name for Your Computer](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc1178.txt)

## Scope of this source

D. Libes, Integrated Systems Group, NIST, August 1990. Establishes the long-standing argument that a computer name works best as an arbitrary tag rather than a description, because a name chosen from a machine’s current role does not stay appropriate. It is about host names rather than physical position identifiers, and states no requirement for either.

Establishes the argument that names encoding a current role go stale. It does not establish anything about physical labeling.

Rackstamp provides editorial field guidance. IDs, cases, and worksheet entries are fictional examples unless identified otherwise. Distinguish local conventions from adopted standards. Source notes describe the evidence scope; a linked overview is not the full standard or a project approval.

## Related guidance

- [We do not have a naming convention](https://datacenterlabeling.com/problems/naming-convention)