When I came up with 9rules back in 2003, the only other company that I was aware of that used a number to start off their company name was 37signals. I am sure there were more, but at that time on the web they were the only ones I could think of and therefore I didn’t see any issues with using a number for my company. If I were to start all over today I would think twice about using a number simply because there are so many sites and companies out there that employ this naming scheme.

So what are the criteria for coming up with a good company name? Well the list is short and sweet, but that doesn’t make the process any easier. So many names have been taken up that now you are either starting to see some recycled goodies or names that come from words that don’t even exist.

In his book The Brand Gap, Marty Neumeier has come up with a wonderful list of seven characteristics that you should consider while coming up with your company name. Here they are along with my own thoughts.

1. Distinct. Is it unique and does it help you stand out from the crowded field that you are more than likely entering?
2. Short and sweet (aka brevity). Can people get it out without having to take a breath in between words? The longer the name, the more likely people will come up with an abbreviation that probably won’t make sense to the person they are talking to. Does anyone even care what IBM, GE, or GM even stand for anymore?
3. Is it appropriate? This one is a bit more flexible because unique names are rarely ever appropriate. Yahoo and Google don’t signify what the companies really do, but Bob’s Plumbing should be a plumbing business and not a pizza delivery service.
4. Easy. Can you say the name easily? Can you spell it easily? It’s hard enough getting people to talk about your company so don’t make it even less enticing by calling yourself Xzving.
5. Popular. Are people going to like the name? I like saying Yahoo and Google. They are fun names and that already leads to a favorable impression.
6. Extendability. Can the name be used for multiple purposes. This is the beauty behind 9rules. You can come up with your own set of 9rules if you wish or simply 9 types of anything.
7. Protectability. You probably don’t want to go with a name like Apple today because it’s nice to be able to trademark your name. It’s also nice if the name is actually available on the web to use.

So if you can’t afford to buy a 3-4 letter domain like everyone else seems to be doing, I suggest you follow these guidelines when thinking of the next great thing you are creating. Don’t let a bad name put you back 10 paces before the race even begins. A lesson that Pajamas Media definitely learned with their original name of Open Source Media.

UPDATE: Great. Today Jon Udell linked us up in his entry about 9cays. Of all the numbers they chose…

As the tagline says the content is geared more towards design, business and web++ (2.0 won’t last forever) so I need a domain that suggests that and if you could offer suggestions I would be more than willing to listen. With redirects traffic won’t decrease so that isn’t a concern, but this is as close to starting from scratch as I can get so I am a bit anxious and excited.

So if you could put your thinking caps on and help me out a bit I would greatly appreciate it.

Over the years I have found that I have painted myself into a corner with regards to how I handle content. I wasn’t “allowed” to post multiple times a day because I was so focused on having a great discussion with a single entry and multiple posts would hinder that. However, I also came across so many different sites and articles that I wanted to share my thoughts on, but obviously couldn’t for the reasons just mentioned.

Then it hit me. This is actually my site.

As stupid as that sounds I am sure I am not the only who has prevented themselves from doing something with their sites because we wanted to please the masses. What I had to find was a middle-ground that kept the old Whitespace intact, but ushered in the Whitespace that I wanted and I think I have accomplished that with the new two column design.

From an IA standpoint I am really pleased with what I have now because it merges the best of both worlds. I can maintain writing (improved) articles, while also exploring topics that only need a couple of words. Aesthetically I wouldn’t be surprised if Rundle comes in to offer to polish it up a bit (and of course I will let him), but you know my love for simplicity, so I like what I have now.

The only other major difference is how the individual pages are one column as opposed to the two column design of the homepage. This keeps the focus on the content, even though it’s probably not the best option if I wish to encourage readers to explore the site. That goal can occur with a well-designed footer I believe so that will be the next step.

There are a couple of little things that need to be finished such as the pages in the navigation need to be written, the comment form needs styling and I will more than likely implement sIFR for the headings because there are some wicked fonts out there I want to try out.

I feel I have a lot more freedom now with regards to how I handle this site and that should lead to a much improved site. Now the teeny tiny “bullshit” entries that some of you hate will go under notes where you can ignore them if you like. Amazing what a couple more options can do to things.

Winner announced Monday.

1. fffnbsp.com
2. chocolateceo.com
3. whitespace-vacuum-epitaxy-center.com
4. validatedvoid.com
5. improvedthoughts.com
6. milkspace.com
7. smallbreak.com
8. theanticeo.com
9. colorfreezone.com
10. myownwebsitewithboozeandhookers.com

The one gotcha is that the domain has to be available at the time of your comment. If someone snaps it up between your comment and whenever, then that’s fine, but it makes no sense to start spouting out domains that are already taken.

I’ll run this contest till tomorrow night and then post the top 10 domains on Friday so everyone can vote. For a prize I will include you in the text ad rotation on Whitespace till the end of the year (as long as it’s a decent type of ad).

And full feeds should be back in place.

Honestly, I think you need to spin off Whitespace to its own domain. Besides the home navigation issue, it’s also confusing to see a directory of the network also being listed as a member of said network.

Mark

As I told Mark in the comments of that entry, I have thought about this more times than not, but never come to a solid conclusion so I thought I would open it up to the audience to help me finally come to a decision. The problem with Whitespace being on the 9rules domain is that the site is a separate entity from 9rules. It’s not the company’s blog because we already have one of those so in that sense I can understand the confusion that it can cause people.

The problems though are that the site is well linked to (301 .htaccess redirects, I know) and is generally well-known throughout the community and beyond. I can’t attain whitespace.com so I would have to think of another name.

However, this also allows for new opportunities. New branding. New design. Anyways, what do you think would be best for this site? I know Keith experienced this a while ago and tried to change domains and quickly changed back so hopefully he has some input into the matter.

Don’t get the wrong idea because there won’t be 10 ads showing at once. The ads will be rotating in the sidebar and in the footer along with 2 ads showing up on the homepage. Over the course of the year I will be testing new ad formats and placements so this will also prove to be a good experiment for these advertisers looking to see which formats work best for them. Your ad can be changed at any time for something else since it wouldn’t make sense to have the same ad up all year.

The site currently pulls in around 150k-200k pageviews a month (small to many people, but I lost my first 15 months of archives…not easy starting from scratch) and growing. There are some other guarantees that I will make to sponsors, but will only let serious candidates know what those are (oooooo, secrets). As an added bonus all Whitespace sponsors will receive a 9rules advertising discount so if you wish to reach an even bigger audience through the 9rules Network you can at a cheaper price than everyone else.

As an added, added bonus these ads will go up on the new Work Boxers once that’s launched.

That’s all. If you are interested shoot an email to scrivs{at}9rules.com.

There is still lots of little things to fix and add, but the previous design got on my nerves (which is usually why I redesign in the first place).

Comments > Entry?

On this site you know that my entries simply serve as conversation starters. You more than likely learn more from the readers’ insights because my entries offer nothing greater than common sense. With this in mind I figured I would try to give them a greater sense of importance both on the homepage and on the individual pages.

On the homepage you can see that the comment number is much larger and that I added more entries to the homepage. The reason for this is quite simple. Many of the entries are starting to receive more comments the day after it is published than the actual day it is published. With this in mind it only made sense to include more entries on the homepage.

For the more regular readers of Whitespace, the larger numbers sort of give you a running update of what is hot, what is cooling off or what entry never took off at all.

Is it important to know when an entry is published on the homepage? I’m not so sure so a lot of metadata is left off the page like dates for example. This could easily be added later, but for now I will leave it off until I hear otherwise.

Indy Pages Go Crazy

Reading comments on a blog will never be a successful venture I fear. The conversation usually goes off-topic and your comment can easily be lost in the shuffle. However, on many sites the comments are where the action takes place and Whitespace is no exception. I thought it would be interesting to see how comments placed next to the entry would work out. I like it, Rundle can’t stand it. A link could be added below the entry to prevent you from having to scroll back up.

Obviously this is not a final decision. I might put the comment form above the comment column or simply move everything back to the status quo with comments on the bottom. Either way the comment form will be prettied up because right now it sucks (along with the ugly ads, give me a couple of minutes to touch those up).

Footer

There is none right now. A work in progress like the rest of the site.

Aesthetics by Rundle

When you have a killer designer on your team it only makes sense to use his talents to your advantage. I did all the IA and majority of the design work. Rundle came in to pretty things up a bit, but did so with major handcuffs on so he is not to blame if there is nothing to like. I take full credit for anything you don’t like and you can give him full credit for everything you do like.

So have I gone off the deep end? Am I just barely missing some things that can totally change the experience of the site? If links are broken I am aware of them so what needs to be added? I’m listening.

One complaint or suggestion if you will, is the lack of effort I believe you put into the top navigation bar or the choice you made, of course. The black a:hover on a dark red background is really not pleasant to the human eye. The font also, is not a success. Certainly, you can come up with a more effective combination of elements. A somewhat graphical navigation bar could not hurt, as the rest of the site is clean and crisp.

So let’s open it up to everyone. What do you think the navigation could use? Might as well ask what else the site can use besides graphical flair. It’s Monday, so let’s rip into Scrivs’ site.

Please understand that I love and respect the time everyone takes to make a comment on this site and I do not make this decision lightly. Although all the old content is still viewable, it does not fit in with the current template. Not every page will be brought in, just my favorites so not too much stuff will be regurgitated.

Hope you don’t mind.