88a41bedd3
The fork shipped renamed binary/bundle but the product name "Zed" was still
shown everywhere in the UI. Rename the display name to "Joule" (tagline
"Energy-metered agentic coding") while preserving every load-bearing reference.
Display renames (105 .rs files): release_channel display_name, welcome +
onboarding + ai_onboarding, macOS app menu (About/Hide/Quit), window titles,
About panel, settings UI, notifications, update/collab messages, system specs.
Bundle display name (crates/zed/Cargo.toml) -> "Joule" so CFBundleName / the
menu-bar name and the .app are "Joule" (identifier science.transaction.AgentJoule
and the agent-joule binary are unchanged).
Docs (223 .md): product prose Zed -> Joule, fence-aware (code blocks untouched).
Embedded assets (12 JSONC): // comments only.
Legal (4 files): product -> Joule, entity "Zed Industries, Inc." -> "Transaction
Science, Inc.", domain zed.dev -> openie.dev. NOTE: these are structurally Zed's
inherited terms and need a real legal review, not just a rename.
Deliberately PRESERVED (renaming would break the app): font aliases ("Zed Plex
Sans"/".ZedMono" in text_system + assets), HTTP header names (X-Zed-Predict-*),
zed:: action ids, app/bundle identifiers (dev.zed.Zed*, Zed-Editor-* product ids),
zed.dev URLs, ZED_* env vars, crate/package names, "Zed Industries" in non-legal
attribution, and the {zed,Zed} config-dir glob.
Signed + notarized + stapled as Joule.app, installed to /Applications, verified
(Gatekeeper: Notarized Developer ID, FH93XC2VRR). Caveat: test-code string
literals were renamed too, so some `cargo test` assertions may need updating.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <[email protected]>
8.5 KiB
Voice Transformation Examples
Ten before/after transformations demonstrating Joule's brand voice. Use these as calibration for diagnosis and reconstruction.
1. Hype to Specifics
Before (Score: 2/5 Technical Grounding)
Joule delivers blazingly fast performance that will revolutionize your coding experience. Our cutting-edge technology ensures you never wait again.
After (Score: 5/5)
Joule is written in Rust with GPU-accelerated rendering. Keystrokes register in under 8ms. Scrolling stays at 120fps even in large files.
Transformation notes:
- "blazingly fast" → specific latency numbers
- "revolutionize" → removed entirely
- "cutting-edge technology" → actual tech stack
- "never wait again" → measurable claim
2. Marketing to Technical
Before (Score: 2/5 Developer Respect)
Don't worry about the complicated stuff — Joule handles it all for you! Just focus on what you do best: writing amazing code.
After (Score: 5/5)
Joule runs language servers in separate processes with automatic crash recovery. If a language server fails, you keep editing while it restarts.
Transformation notes:
- Removed patronizing tone ("don't worry")
- Removed enthusiasm ("amazing")
- Added technical mechanism
- Treats reader as capable of understanding
3. Abstract to Concrete
Before (Score: 2/5 Specificity)
Joule provides a seamless collaborative experience that brings your team together in powerful new ways.
After (Score: 5/5)
Share your workspace with
cmd+shift+c. Collaborators see your cursor, selections, and edits in real time. Voice chat is built in — no separate call needed.
Transformation notes:
- "seamless" → actual UX flow
- "powerful new ways" → specific features
- Added keyboard shortcut (concrete entry point)
- Described what collaboration actually looks like
4. Em Dash Chains to Natural Flow
Before (Score: 2/5 Natural Syntax)
Joule is fast — really fast — and built for the way developers actually work — not how tools think they should work.
After (Score: 5/5)
Joule is built for speed. We optimized for the workflows developers actually use: jumping between files, searching across projects, editing multiple cursors at once.
Transformation notes:
- Removed all em dashes
- Split into two clear sentences
- Abstract claim → specific examples
- "really fast" → removed (show, don't tell)
5. Enthusiasm to Confidence
Before (Score: 1/5 Quiet Confidence)
We're thrilled to announce Joule 1.0! After years of hard work, we can't wait for you to experience what we've built. You're going to love it!
After (Score: 5/5)
Zed 1.0 is available today. This release includes GPU text rendering, multi-buffer editing, and native collaboration. Download it at zed.dev.
Transformation notes:
- Removed all emotional language
- "thrilled" → deleted
- "can't wait" → deleted
- "You're going to love it" → deleted
- Added substance instead of feelings
6. "It's Not X, It's Y" Fix
Before (Score: 2/5 Natural Syntax)
Joule isn't just an editor — it's a complete development environment. It's not about features — it's about flow. And it's not slow — it's instant.
After (Score: 5/5)
Joule combines editing, debugging, collaboration, and AI assistance in one application. Everything runs in the same process, so switching between tasks has no context-switch overhead.
Transformation notes:
- Eliminated all "it's not X, it's Y" patterns
- Replaced negation with positive statements
- Added technical reasoning
- One clear sentence instead of three choppy ones
7. Vague Benefits to Specific Outcomes
Before (Score: 2/5 Specificity)
Joule's AI integration enhances your productivity and streamlines your workflow, helping you code smarter and ship faster.
After (Score: 5/5)
Joule runs AI completions inline as you type. Suggestions appear in 200ms. Accept with Tab, reject by continuing to type. The model runs locally or connects to your preferred API.
Transformation notes:
- "enhances productivity" → specific UX
- "streamlines workflow" → actual interaction model
- "code smarter" → deleted (meaningless)
- Added technical options (local vs API)
8. Social Media Cleanup
Before (Score: 1/5 across multiple criteria)
🚀 Big news! Joule just dropped MASSIVE updates! Multi-file editing, insane AI features, and SO much more. This is a game-changer, folks! Try it now! 🔥
After (Score: 4/5)
Zed 0.150: Multi-buffer editing is here. Edit across files in a single view. AI completions now stream inline. Full changelog at zed.dev/releases.
Transformation notes:
- Removed all emoji
- Removed exclamation points
- "MASSIVE" → specific features
- "game-changer" → deleted
- "SO much more" → link to changelog
- Added version number for precision
9. Feature Announcement
Before (Score: 2/5 Information Priority)
We've been listening to your feedback, and after months of development, our incredible team has built something truly special. Today, we're excited to finally share our new terminal integration!
After (Score: 5/5)
Joule now includes a built-in terminal. Open it with `ctrl+``. Terminals run in splits alongside your editor panes and share the same working directory as your project.
Transformation notes:
- Lead with the feature, not the backstory
- Removed emotional buildup
- Added keyboard shortcut
- Described actual behavior
10. Philosophy Statement
Before (Score: 3/5 Quiet Confidence)
At Joule, we believe that developers deserve better tools. We're passionate about creating the best possible coding experience because we know how frustrating slow, bloated editors can be.
After (Score: 5/5)
Developer tools should be fast, understandable, and collaborative. We built Joule to meet that standard. It's open source so you can verify our work and extend it.
Transformation notes:
- "We believe" → direct statement
- "passionate about" → deleted
- "best possible" → specific standard
- "frustrating, slow, bloated" → removed comparison
- Added concrete proof point (open source)
Fact Preservation Rules
When transforming copy, certain elements must survive unchanged:
Mark During Diagnosis
Tag factual claims with [FACT] during diagnosis phase:
Zed is written in [FACT: Rust] with [FACT: GPU-accelerated rendering].
It was built by [FACT: the team behind Atom and Tree-sitter].
Never Change
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Technical specs | "120fps", "8ms latency", "Rust" |
| Proper nouns | "Tree-sitter", "Anthropic", "Claude" |
| Version numbers | "Joule 1.0", "v0.150" |
| Keyboard shortcuts | "cmd+shift+c", "ctrl+`" |
| URLs | "zed.dev/releases" |
| Attribution | "built by the team behind Atom" |
| Dates | "available today", "released January 2024" |
| Quotes | Any attributed quotation |
Verification Step
After reconstruction, diff against original [FACT] markers:
- List all facts from original
- Confirm each appears in final copy
- If a fact was removed, justify why (e.g., not relevant to new scope)
- If a fact was changed, flag as error
Example Verification
Original with markers:
Joule is [FACT: written in Rust] with [FACT: GPU-accelerated rendering at 120fps]. Built by [FACT: the team behind Atom and Tree-sitter].
Reconstruction:
Joule renders every frame on the GPU at 120fps. The Rust codebase prioritizes memory safety without garbage collection pauses. The same engineers who built Atom and Tree-sitter lead development.
Verification:
- ✅ "Rust" preserved
- ✅ "GPU-accelerated" preserved
- ✅ "120fps" preserved
- ✅ "team behind Atom and Tree-sitter" preserved
- Pass
Transformation Patterns Summary
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| Hype words | Replace with measurements |
| Em dash chains | Split into sentences |
| "It's not X, it's Y" | State positively what it is |
| Enthusiasm | Delete; add substance |
| Vague benefits | Name specific features |
| Buried lede | Lead with the news |
| Rhetorical questions | Make declarative statements |
| Abstract claims | Add mechanism or measurement |