(caveat: site related)
A few readers of this site may recall the naming discussion we had back in 1997-8 when The Standard was born. Back then I was trying to come up with a name that properly captured the intent of the magazine, and I had several dogs in contention before Denise Caruso, Steven Johnson and I came up with The Industry Standard over (more than one round of) drinks in NYC. During that exercise, and during many subsequent and prior naming go-rounds, I always started email lists with trusted advisors, pinging them with naming ideas and getting their feedback.
This is a long way of saying that one of the reasons you see the “beta” tag on the banner of this site is that I’ve always been dissatisfied with its name. Somehow attaching the word “blog” felt dated, but I did it anyway, if only to signal the form the site would take. So with that in mind, I seek your counsel. You’ve been reading for a while now. Which of these names capture best the feel of this place? (I’m partial to the idea of keeping Search in the name, as you can tell).
-SearchThink
-SearchThought
-Searchlog
-SearchQuest
Have any others? If I rename the site to your suggestion, you get bragging rights forever, just like Steven and Denise have. Think of the whuffie….
And as long as I’m doing site news, I’ve now updated my templates to support RSS 2.0, so you can see links and pics in your readers, if they support 2.0.
Why not go all the way and just call it “Search”?
Or go the other way… Are you sure you’re going to write about just search here? It’s under your own name in the URL. You’ll finish that book. You’ll move on. I started by blog under the headline World War III and threw off that straitjacket quickly as I meandered into other turf. Now it’s true that a focused weblog is in many ways the best weblog; readers know just what they will get; advertising works better; search results work better. And that’s fine if you look at this as a business on search. But if you look at it as your bully pulpit, your corner at the bar, your kitchen table, well, then, it will be whatever you want it to be. So I’d make it either Search or Quest but not Searchquest….
SearchLink
SearchLight (You might be concerned that “light” could be read as “light weight.” OTOH, searchlight as in spotlight/flashlight/beam is not a bad connotation.)
I disagree with Jeff. I like very focused blogs. If you want to expound on other subjects it’s better to have something on the side. It’s good for your readers.
My vote: Searchlog
How about “Searching”?
As a fan of the pun, if you spin your book as the Sergei & Larry story, why not call it, “Seek and Ye Shall Found: How Google Got That Way?”
Seeking Search
Looking for Mr. Good Search…
hey, wow. this takes me back – –
i thought “search link” too
but then i’m v jet lagged, it’s 4.30am in Israel coming up to xmas day and 3rd day of Chanukah
so i vote for
“Search Blink”
im
I like Searchlight. Nice. The book is not just about Google, and it already has a name – The Search – Business and Culture in The Age of Google. No that it can’t change…. Kevin Kelly among others think I should just call it “Search”. Which is pretty strong. And generic.
But back to the site. Any more ideas out there?
I actually like Searchblog, because it is what it is, without pretensions. Whatever you pick, it should sound personal, handmade, humorous, the anti-corporate. Most of the names suggested so far sound like they could have been thrown up by some media behemoth or fundamentalist religious org. How about SearchMe? Or SearchWhiz? Or just plain JBat? You are the brand, after all.
L
How about: “Battelle’s Regular Expression”?
with perhaps a suitable subtitle, for people who aren’t damaged enough to get the joke.