To an American ear the name evokes "animal shelter", a place where abused or abandoned pets end up (generally a place with a negative or sad connotation (ex A: the Sarah McLachlan ASPCA commercial)), or a "homeless shelter" (with even more negative connotations).

Hmm, I see, thanks. In my mind, "shelter" is generally positive, but I see how it may not be taken as such by everyone.

FWIW, I think it's a good name, and it didn't strike me as negative when I first heard it.

The negative connotations never occurred to me, and I've been a volunteer for both animal rescue organizations and domestic violence shelters.

Same. "Cemetery" would be the worse alternative, IMO.

A different perspective: shelter makes me think homeless shelter, so a place for code on the streets without a home. Perhaps fitting, but heavy with additional meaning.

Didn't feel any negative connotation at all. Not a native English speaker, though.

Maybe it's a subjective association. But isn't a shelter a place for a homeless person?

Yes, a place where they can get food, a bed and (hopefully) living conditions. In my mind, it's a positive. Sounds like it's not so for everyone, hmm.

It's fascinating, because shelters in and of themselves are positive things: they're built to be refuges or safe havens. Places where you expect help is at hand.

They sound negative when you start to look at the reason for them existing. Not because shelters are bad, but because homelessness and abuse and abandonment is bad.

From a UK perspective, shelter to me makes me think of a bus stop or an awning to get out of the rain, or to get some shade.

Yes, that's how I perceive it as well. The fact that you're in circumstance X might suck, but shelter for that is always good. It's interesting to me that people find the word "shelter" itself negative because they associate it with the unwanted circumstance. I wonder if the same happens with "haven", "succor", etc.

Sorry for the negativity, man. I hope this thing succeeds in a big way. Only consider this point a little while, and don't rule out grepping through the code base with the name change just now.

Oh no problem, I'm just wondering whether many people think this is a negative and whether it'll be a problem down the line.

The meaning of words changes all the time. I don't think this is a big issue. If Code Shelter does good work and establishes a positive reputation, the phrase will generally develop positive meaning.

The degree to which the word shelter has negative associations for some people is not something I would see as deal breaker territory.

I will add that there are far more uses for shelter than just homeless shelter or animal shelter. Just a few examples:

A book about a New York woman's house hunt was titled "Gimme Shelter." (Author: Mary Elizabeth Williams)

The basic essentials in life are typically listed as food, shelter and clothing.

Shelter from the storm is a well known positive expression for sanctuary during a crisis.

Shelter magazines is the umbrella term for magazines having anything to do with homes, such as home plans, bed and bath, kitchen makeovers etc.

I think the order and placement of the words is also important.

The format "(noun) shelter" is similar to and might more readily bring to mind "animal shelter" and "homeless shelter" than a phrase in the "(verb) shelter" and "shelter _____" formats.

The mind is very pattern-happy after all :)

Personally, I liked the name and logo. I do see the points about it being taken negatively, but I didn't take it that way, and I had a reasonable guess at what the project was after reading the first two words of the headline. Just one data point.

At least it's a better name than OrphanProjets. Cool logo, suits it very well.

It is, and it is also hope.

Either way, you probably don't want to be using a name that implies failure on the part of the person who started the project.

Maybe it's a success in the career or family life that leads to it, you wouldn't know.