posted
As some of you may recall, I have been shopping around for a web hosting service. I think I have my list narrowed down, but I have run into a problem: I am a total failure at coming up with a good domain name. So I was wondering how you folks with web sites came up with your names. I feel like if I asked for direct help with a name and ended up using a name I didn't come up with I'd feel utterly worthless, but hopefully hearing your stories might get my creative juices flowing.
Posts: 4534 | Registered: Jan 2003
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posted
When I wanted to have a site dedicated to my writing, I naturally looked first for my name. All derivations of my name were already taken, unless I added in my middle initial, which I really didn't want to.
So, I sat down and started to think about what qualities of my writing were important to me, and whether I could get a good name out of that.
What I came up with was faithandheritage.com, because my writing is influenced by two major factors - my Christian faith and my southern heritage.
posted
Well, to tell you the truth, I have several domains - or many domains. More than half of them I'm not even using at the moment - but the cost of registering a domain is so cheap, that when I think of a good name, if it's available, I take it and figure out what I'm going to do with it later.
I've asked friends for help picking out my domain name, so nothing wrong with that. What do you want to use your domain for? That, I think is the first question to answer. If it's your author site, then look for your pen name. That's a no brainer. Or, like the previous poster, think about recurring themes in your life. Want to throw us some bones and see what we can come up with?
Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
My current site is mostly just a place for me to get my thoughts in order and occasionally play a practical joke. The film and reading lists grew out of a desire to keep a log for my own purposes that I could access from wherever I go. I added the reviews to give myself something to do (I don't labor under the delusion that anyone cares what I think). Similarly, my editorials are just there as an outlet for what I'm thinking about.
I'm not really a writer, though I am working on a couple of stories. Whenever I do switch over to new webspace I plan to keep my site more or less as is, perhaps adding a real forum, perhaps taking submissions, or adding anything particularly creative I might do (yeah, that'll happen). Mostly I want the new space so that I can have access to more web technologies; my current space is severely limited in what I can do.
Posts: 4534 | Registered: Jan 2003
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Edit: Just checked and it's completely available. I thought of it after viewing your site and thinking about your Hatrack persona -- you know kind of riffing off your 'weekly wisdom' + some of your self-mocking humor. Intense but in a self-deprecating way.
posted
All my domains have obvious names - but then again, I guess it makes it easy for people to find you if the name's obvious and they can remember it easily Plus of course, it helps if it isn't hard to spell - or has variations in spelling ... though you can always buy all the variations up too
And then there is the whole to COM or not to COM debate Some people feel that a .com domain is the only one worth having since most people go for the .com domain automatically ... This I guess would be a personal choice ... I don't strictly follow the domain extensions by functionality rule (COM - commercial, ORG - organization etc.) but COM if available but if not the NET or ORG variant. YMMV Posts: 136 | Registered: Aug 2003
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Being an Ender fan site, I obviously wanted something connected to the saga, and I liked the combination of the concept of philotic twining (a linked community!) and with the double entendre of the term 'web'.
The .net was chosen because it's not commercial, and '.net just seemed more 'in character' with the site.
posted
Thanks folks. I ended up going with one that's been rattling around in my head for a while now, largely because my wife likes it. I'll let you know when I get things set up (if you are interested).
Posts: 4534 | Registered: Jan 2003
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Sax, we are interested. Let us know. That way, we can stalk you on your website as well as here. Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
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If you had time to see all of those terrible movies, you damn well better have a couple of hours to see Whale Rider. Posts: 10886 | Registered: Feb 2000
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See, the problem with movies for me is that I have to convince my wife that she wants to see it, too. Lately we've been neglecting our indie theater.
Posts: 4534 | Registered: Jan 2003
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posted
I like the site, but it seriously needs some different colors besides gray. Maybe white for the background of the essays? Posts: 26077 | Registered: Mar 2000
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posted
You can change the color scheme with the links below the nav menu, but the non-gray ones look pretty bad with the new logo, in my opinion. I'll give it some thought.
Posts: 4534 | Registered: Jan 2003
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posted
Not colors, then, I mean contrast. All three are lovely, but very hard to read.
I need serious convincing for any color besides white to be behind text. It's just easier to read. It's hard enough to read on a screen anyway - monochromatic just ups that.
I like it very much, though. The green is my favorite.
Posts: 26077 | Registered: Mar 2000
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Plus of course, it helps if it isn't hard to spell - or has variations in spelling ... though you can always buy all the variations up too ![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
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