COMMENTS REQUESTED: Changing the name and branding of this website

[CommonSense]

I'd love to see this site get more attention, more press (well -- press, period), more links on other sites, and so on.  But I'm finding that a huge hindrance to all this happening is its name.  "fuckMicrosoft.com" just doesn't lend itself to cross-promotion.  And I'll be honest with you -- my own parents don't even know I do this website, and nor will it appear on my web portfolio or resume.  Which kind of sucks, especially when you consider it's all due to a stupid NAME.

A while ago, I registered a perfectly innocuous, G-rated domain (the .com, the .net, and .org variations, just to be safe) for a possible idea I had of starting a new companion site to this one which would have an ambitious goal, one I planned to seek "angel investor" funding for, etc.  I talked with a couple of people and soon realized it was a totally un-fundable idea, so I won't be pursuing it after all.  But I still own the domain names, and they would work for this site, I think.

Of course, we lose the nice, clever sting of "fuckMicrosoft.com."  Of course, I'd still keep all the current domain names, and they'd all continue to point to this site.  It's just that its primary name would no longer be fuckMicrosoft.com, and the site itself would probably have no references to that anymore.

I suppose I could script it in such a way that, depending on the URL the visitor typed in, the appropriate graphics, headers, etc. would be inserted to reflect the site name they expected.  And I could have certain links (e.g., fuckMicrosoft.com T-shirts, virtual hosts, e-mail addresses) only be available if they actually entered the fuckMicrosoft.com site.

As for site promotion, submission to other sites, family-friendly naming, and my own portfolio, I'd use the "G-rated" alternate name.

I don't have enough knowledge on how to script all this to make it happen, but it's probably nothing too terribly hard to learn.

So . . . thoughts?

[voidmain]

I agree 100% with this. I think this site could explode if it weren't for the name.  Why not just go with your windows-sucks.com domain?  I would let my kids on if it weren't for that (and the fact that you allow images in messages where porn often shows up). The language doesn't bother me all that much, they hear enough of that anywhere...

[EDIT] or maybe some form of MES... mseradication.com?

[EDIT2] And maybe think about switching over to a different messaging system. Something like a /. engine perhaps. I like the current forums but I don't know if they would scale well...

[ June 11, 2002: Message edited by: VoidMain ]

[hoojchoons]

I agree with you that the name of this site is a bit too extreme for some people's tastes as it can give the impression that it's being run by some irresponsible kids, trying to kill their time. Hence, trying to promote it by that name is merely impossible. To team up with VoidMain, why don't you stick to your windows-sucks.com domain?

[ June 11, 2002: Message edited by: hoojchoons ]

[choasforages]

i would go with windows-sucks.com, and i think with a bit of cookie work, you could do it. /* i be no webdev person, i sit in my room and learn how to configure odd things like samba and nfs so i probably don't know what the hell i am talking about */ maybe even have an interface to select if you want the "clean" version or want to go with fuckmicrosoft.com origanal style, anyway, if you pulled it off, /*the interface*/ that would look  good on a resume /* just describe about interface, not the content */

[sporkme]

i can look at this site at the library (in US).  the (US) government says so.  grandma has no interest.

plus, i really love the name.  it smacks the viewer in the head with the whole damned point.

i love the content even more, which really makes the name a moot concept-- it could be called iluvteletubbies.com for all i friggin care as long as free thought prevails.

my suggestion:
maybe just change the logo to lose the fuck, push the ms-eradication.org addy in the place of fuckmicrosoft.com, and stick some bs about "please don't cuss in the forums but i will not be held responsible.  you'll see more linked hits.  keep it simple!  just change the logo and keep the fuck part a ~~secret for persons 18 or older ooooooo!~~

BTW tomshardware.com sent me here, but I had linked from google a day earlier and promptly got a BSOD.

i think that if you were my kid i would be proud that you had the balls to put your effort into such a wonderful project.  if they kick you out i will adopt you errrrrrrrrr...

FUCK IT

EDIT: voidmain: i figgered youd know there is the ms-eradication.org addy... tho its not listed at the top

[ June 11, 2002: Message edited by: sporkme ]

[iustitia]

I also agree "100%".  It's not fair that this site get's no publicity because of a thing like a name.  We could influence so many more people if we had a G-rated name.  People blow this website off simply because it is offensive.  What is ironic is that this site actually has some good information that the public should know before buying that upgrade of M$ Windows.  I mistook the site for a band of malicious hackers when someone sent me a virus from the domain name.  I've found out through posting on this forum that that is not in the least so.

[preacher]

I love your name and I believe that it should remain as it is. Not that long ago I was reading I think it was PC magazine when i saw that they had included a link to fuckedcompany.com. This tells you that even though you have a bad word in your name, such naming conventions are becoming more acceptable. However if you do choose to change the name, Im with you 100%.

[Chooco]

i second what that dude said 'windows-sucks.com', the name gives a clear point across of what it's about, it's easy to remember and easy to spell (i can't spell eradication)

[Kintaro]

Yes i keep hearing people judge this site by its name so yes a name change would be good. How about make it formal.

[Calum]

a name change is definitely due. ("formal" isn't a good name though x11, sorry!    )

I think you should also have filtering so that words like fuck get changed to innocuous language (for the forums this is), so that it can be viewed by more people and so on, the content is great, but the language is not to everyone's taste, even though i personally think that it's petty and childish to be insulted just by the word fuck.

Also, i like the idea of having a clean language version and a mirror with the uncensored version there too. Will this be possible with the forums as well?

Anyway yes, change it! this way i think it will become a respectable bastion of antiM$dom, and also it might up the real posters in the forums, and lower the number of fucktards who only come here because of the "jokes" and "profanity".

[Kintaro]

I was not suggesting that as a name but the word "sucks" is also immature. Try somthing slightly more
in the range of old farts and so on.  Somthing more "upper class" maybe you want to put me in charge of this site    as you will be busy with another.

[Gooseberry Clock]

quote:Originally posted by Chooco:
i can't spell eradication

You just did.

[Kintaro]

quote:Originally posted by Gooseberry Clock:
You just did.

Gooseberry in calums song Calum-42
it has "First, Tell me why your here and your not somewhere else"
Why are you here scriptkiddy!

[Gooseberry Clock]

I'm here to show you guys that there is much more to life than dissing Microsoft. There, I said it.

[Calum]

that's all very well, but most of us have lives elsewhere, but we don't choose to air our dirty laundry here since this is the forum for bitching about Microsoft. If you choose to talk unrelated drivel (which you have been doing less of the time recently) then you can only expect people to be pissed off. Want to talk about music? go to a music forum. Want to talk about flash movies? i hear they have a forum about that some other place...

what are your thoughts about changing the name of the site, clock?

[ June 12, 2002: Message edited by: Calum ]