What's in a name?

Site Management
62

Wandering Mutant Society?

[edit] Heh, wanderingmutants.social appears to be free.

5 Likes
63

Donā€™t name it after me. I donā€™t deserve it.

Also, though I tend rationalist, I have just enough animism in my hindbrain to see that as a curse. I have a ā€¦ ermā€¦ complicated relationship with water not for immediate consumption. The reason Iā€™m good at plumbing is not because I enjoy it, and the reason I now live on a mountain, more than 1000 miles from the closest beach, is not entirely because I got a good research gig.

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64

I like that a lot more than the nautical theme. It makes sense for the siteā€™s name to reflect, in some way, whatā€™s unique about its structure and organization.

Iā€™ve also been thinking in terms of:

1.) Learned societies, secret clubs, public fora of antiquity
2.) Absurdist names that add flavor but not specificity
3.) Out-groups besides mutants (thereā€™s a site called ā€œDangerous Mindsā€ - something like that)
4.) Lost or hidden places; words that evoke curiosity by themselves (like ā€œhieroglyphicsā€ and ā€œcaligariā€)

The most important criteria for me is how well the name would stimulate the interest of a hypothetical outsider. For this reason, Iā€™d argue that lounge/cafe based names need something extra to avoid feeling generic (caligari.cafe is available).

10 Likes
65

croak and dagger?

I got nothing. Ooo, wait. Numbers Station? Nah, still got nothing. Carry on.

8 Likes
66

Thatā€™s definitely thinking in the right direction.

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67

I had a thought along the lines of Croatoan (the likely place where Roanoke went) or Brigadoonā€¦ but I really like NumbersStation.

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68

I do like the potential of Numbers Station

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69

We could get something like spe.akeasy.club for pennies

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70

Crotoan is pretty cool.

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71

OK (as if I had a say). I was just amused by the ā€œAnneā€ coincidence.

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72

Fiddlerā€™s Green is not exclusively nautical, but has some nautical connotations.

Wikipedia says:
In 19th-century maritime folklore it was a kind of afterlife for sailors who have served at least 50 years at sea.

http://www.fiddlersgreen.net/ is already taken, but maybe for the regulars-only areas of the site?

Cockaigne is roughly the equivalent.

1 Like
73

Yeah I kinda burned myself out on HMS variationsā€¦

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74

Wood arose biennial therein amiss snail sew tweet?

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75

Annexia.

Michael. Michael.

What is it, Cary? Are we there yet?

Almost, Michael. But I guess itā€™s about time for our William Tell routine.

Sure, Cary.
[Michael places a glass on his head]

[gunshot rings out]

Welcomeā€¦ to Annexia.

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76

I Will never Tell!

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77

SafeThread

Oclophobics.us

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78

ten.year.band

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79

Hms mutie mcmuteface?

1 Like
80

OtherBBS. Ā 

4 Likes
81

Are we about ready to tourney these names?

Here are my two decision making proposals:

  1. Anything that has at least three likes makes it into the tourney. Everyone gets 5 votes. Top 5 of those goes into a jungle primary, which closes 36 hours after it opens. If any one of those gets a clear majority (supermajority?), that one is the new name. If not, top two go on to the final match, with a 24 hour voting period.
  2. Instant runoff voting, starting again with any suggestion with at least three likes. Rank them for yourself, with a No Award level. Voting lasts for 48 hours, then weā€™re done.

I think we need to move on this. The longer we sit on it, the bigger the risk of a Cease and Desist, and principles donā€™t always hold up well in the face of anger.

8 Likes