I originally posted this in Why DMT Scares Me, but to not further derail that thread, I think it's better to continue the naming discussion here. So tagging @Panpsychic , @Varallo , @The Traveler .
@Panpsychic , if DMT were to be always called N,N-DMT , consistency dictates that 5-MeO-DMT should always be called 5-MeO-N,N-DMT. The reason "N,N" is not usually included in "5-MeO-DMT" is the same as the reason it's not usually included in "DMT".
Why do you fear novices will confuse 5-MeO-DMT with DMT, and not "5-MeO" with any of the other 5-MeO compounds? Particularly when many of those are also legally available in many places, whereas DMT is mostly not. Thus a novice is likely to come across a website offering a wide range of 5-MeO compounds.
You can't control how people will misinterpret anything, but being purposefully inconsistent makes it more likely, not less. Why would a substance be fully named after having a certain radical at a given position? Where is that position, a position of what? Whereas 5-MeO-DMT is consistent: the MeO group is in the 5th position of the DMT structure. There are other molecules that have other radicals at various positions, and then there's the DMT structure without any additional radical: DMT. With consistency someone can aspire to eventually understand it. The lack of consistency only adds confusion.
The reason it's often called "5-MeO" is more likely that it's often misconstrued as being one of the "two types of DMT". While DMT has been called DMT since the beginning and is called "DMT" consistently in the literature, the name "5-MeO" is only present in the likes of Reddit. Can you find a non-forum source that calls it 5-MeO (possibly excluding self-published books)? Likewise with calling DMT "N,N".
As for "bufo", it's a terrible name as it would be logical to think it refers to bufotenin. According to Wikipedia, the international nonpropietary name is "mebufotenin", which would be a better name if anyone knew or used it.
Call DMT "N,N-DMT" if you want: it's consistent and correct. But don't call 5-MeO-DMT "5-MeO".
@Panpsychic , if DMT were to be always called N,N-DMT , consistency dictates that 5-MeO-DMT should always be called 5-MeO-N,N-DMT. The reason "N,N" is not usually included in "5-MeO-DMT" is the same as the reason it's not usually included in "DMT".
Why do you fear novices will confuse 5-MeO-DMT with DMT, and not "5-MeO" with any of the other 5-MeO compounds? Particularly when many of those are also legally available in many places, whereas DMT is mostly not. Thus a novice is likely to come across a website offering a wide range of 5-MeO compounds.
You can't control how people will misinterpret anything, but being purposefully inconsistent makes it more likely, not less. Why would a substance be fully named after having a certain radical at a given position? Where is that position, a position of what? Whereas 5-MeO-DMT is consistent: the MeO group is in the 5th position of the DMT structure. There are other molecules that have other radicals at various positions, and then there's the DMT structure without any additional radical: DMT. With consistency someone can aspire to eventually understand it. The lack of consistency only adds confusion.
The reason it's often called "5-MeO" is more likely that it's often misconstrued as being one of the "two types of DMT". While DMT has been called DMT since the beginning and is called "DMT" consistently in the literature, the name "5-MeO" is only present in the likes of Reddit. Can you find a non-forum source that calls it 5-MeO (possibly excluding self-published books)? Likewise with calling DMT "N,N".
As for "bufo", it's a terrible name as it would be logical to think it refers to bufotenin. According to Wikipedia, the international nonpropietary name is "mebufotenin", which would be a better name if anyone knew or used it.
Call DMT "N,N-DMT" if you want: it's consistent and correct. But don't call 5-MeO-DMT "5-MeO".
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