the name game: call for suggestions, and one volunteer

[astolat]

So, while still hashing out some details, it looks pretty clear that we will want to incorporate in the US as a nonprofit. As it happens, one of the first steps in this process is coming up with a name! Which also has the benefit of being entertaining. :D

This doesn't have to necessarily be the name we use on a day-to-day basis, more the official name, although it would be ideal to have something that works both ways.

Rules:

• The full name shouldn't already be in use -- the lawyers will do a formal search, but for now, just do a google to see if someone else is obviously using it.
  
  
• We will want something ideally that we can also get some variant or subset of as a domain name. You can search for domain-availability at a bunch of places; here is the network solutions search.
  
  
• Should be "distinctive" -- ie, weird enough that it can be a trademark. Xerox == yes, pets.com == no.
  
  
• One clever scheme (used a lot by right-wing orgs :>) is to choose a name that includes your main argument in the name. IE, if we did something with "Fair Use" in it, any time someone mentions the organization, they're basically repeating the key phrase you want people to associate with you.
  
  
• Avoid the word "Foundation", as that generally means a specific kind of charity that we will not be.
  
  
• Can go the descriptive route (Fanfic Conservancy, Fair Use Institute, Archive Of Our Own Co.) or with made up words (AD;KJFA Inc. *g*) or just sort of evocative/cool-sounding words (Keymashing Ltd.).

If you're suggesting a name or names, please put your name suggestion (or your favorite of them) in the subject line of your comment, especially if you're replying to/spinning off from someone else's suggestions.

Please post your suggestions here by Monday, May 28! We will then have a poll to narrow down the list of possibilities we consider with the lawyers.

JOB:
1. NOTES. Short term. Deadline: Tuesday May 29: collect name suggestions for a poll. - ainsley
If someone would be willing to volunteer to collect up all the name suggestions and turn them into a tickybox poll, that would be great! (Note: this requires your having a paid/permanent account.)

Comments

[ainsley.livejournal.com]

I'll do it.

[astolat]

Yay, thank you!

Re: Archive of Our Own--

[nestra.livejournal.com]

I agree. Variations that are available:

ourarchive.net
ourarchive.org
byfansforfans.com
byfansforfans.net
archiveofourown.com
archiveofourown.net
archiveofourown.org
archiveofonesown.com
archiveofonesown.net
archiveofonesown.org
fanarchive.org (but .com leads to a porn site)
fan-archive.com (.net leads to a fannish site)

And after that my creativity failed.

Archive of Our Own--

[caras-galadhon.livejournal.com]

[Argh. Reposted because I wasn't quite clear on one point.]

Honestly, I know it's early in the name-selection process, but I really do love "An Archive of Our Own" (or some variation) for the Woolf-connotations, the lack of a specific fandom modifier (thus making it more panfandom in origin), and what it says about the impetus behind the whole project.

Re: Archive of Our Own--

[iulia_linnea.livejournal.com]

I like the suggestion for the same reasons, and because it was the phrase that astolat used in her initial post suggesting the archive.

[iulia_linnea.livejournal.com]

When I'm explaining fanfic to people, I usually refer to it as extrapolative fiction, which is why "Extrapolations Are Us" sprang to mind---but that sucks. Honestly, I really like "An Archive of Our Own," or something like it. That doesn't, however, speak to what we'd be archiving.

Brainstorming:

FenFiction.Org (could be confused with FanFiction.Net, but I still like it)
FenLib (just kidding!)
FictionByFans.Org/FicByFans.Org
OurArchive.Org (again, not particularly specific)

In any case, I volunteer to collect the suggestions made here and turn them into a poll (would I post the poll on my own lj and then link to it from the comm?).

[astolat]

Hey, ainsley got in ahead of you, but thank you for offering! :)

Organization for Transformative Fiction

[octette]

Organization for Transformative Fiction @ transformativefiction.org

??

Re: Organization for Transformative Fiction

[almostnever.livejournal.com]

I like this suggestion a lot.

fanfairuse.org

[rez-lo.livejournal.com]

My heart is with the Woolf-inflected An Archive of One's Own. The above is offered for the Fair Use reference.

Re: fanfairuse.org

[florahart]

I like the concept "fanfare" in there (both for the trumpets blowing, and for this being fare/goods for fans) along with fair/fair use.

Nothing with "fic", please!

[neery.livejournal.com]

I don't have a suggestion of my own, but I'd ask that we avoid having the abbreviation "fic" in the name. "Fiction" is fine, but "Fick" (sounds the same, phonetically) is the German word for "fuck", and you really can't use the word fic over here without non-fandom people giving you weird "why is this person talking about fucking?" looks. There's quite a few Germans in fandom, and I think it would be nice if we could talk about the archive in public without sounding obscene.

Re: Nothing with "fic", please!

[trobadora]

God, yeah. So very true.

[boosette.livejournal.com]

FansWrite.com/net/org

FanWrites.com/net/org (I prefer this one as a play on "fan rights" myself. )

FanWrites

[neery.livejournal.com]

In like this one! Just thought I'd put it in a header so it's easier to find.

Vote for Archive of our own + thoughts on sub-headings

[boji.livejournal.com]

If we do go for Archive of our own which would be my vote, can't be co-opt, play with library terminology for subsections?

As in special collection for fics that had vanished and been retrieved? And how about literary allusions from texts in the public domain for sub-categories which would be drama, comedy etc. And... to carry on with the idea, we can't use quotes from original work for category headings can we?

If so what do people think? If not, what if we filk them?

Re: Vote for Archive of our own + thoughts on sub-headings

[neery.livejournal.com]

Depends on how clear the subcategory headers are, I think - it should be obvious at first glance what's behind the link for easy navigation, so while a simple and obvious literary allusion along the lines of "Here be drama" for the drama category might be fun, using a quote from a Shakespeare drama or something like that would just make things confusing.

Basically, don't make navigation a guessing game. ;)

[risha]

I've been thinking of it as "An Archive Of Our Own" as well, though I will conceed that it's a little unwieldy for the name of the corporation as a whole. I don't have any better suggestions, though I think that we may want to avoid the words Fiction or Fic - in case we decide to host or link to vids and other types of fan work.

FanCreation.Org/FanCreations.Org

[iulia_linnea.livejournal.com]

You raise a good point about including other fan work, so what about something like FanCreation.Org (which I like for its play on recreation)?

FairUse Works

[http://users.livejournal.com/_workinprogress/]

I like the amiguity of "works".
because we say it does work here.
and we're generating a shitload of content.

pretty much all variations thereof are available.

Re: FairUse Works

[http://users.livejournal.com/_workinprogress/]

d'oh. I'm always trigger happy with the post buttom

If we're including fan art, vids, etc. having something doesn't just refer to fiction is probably a good idea, too.

FanScribe.org

[kerravonsen]

I like this because it's sort of cooler than "write" and also has a connotation of preserving history.

Fanfiction 4 Free

[catsintheattic.livejournal.com]

Just a suggestion, concentrating on the point that we're not commercial. These are among the many endings which are still available:

fanfiction4free.com
fanfiction4free.net
fanfiction4free.org
fanfiction4free.info

Re: Fanfiction for Free

[neery.livejournal.com]

If we do this, can we please, please have a real "for" instead of a 4?

Fan Imagine

[kerravonsen]

A few more:

Fan Imagine
Fan Collection
Fan Vault

[lexin.livejournal.com]

Suggestion: also try for .co.uk variations. The servers don't have to be in the UK, my hosts are in the US, but I've a .co.uk domain.

FreeFans

[zellieh]

I propose something short, simple, and flexible: freefans, or maybe free-fans.

I like the connotations of 'freedom,' and 'free to use.' And also 'free for all' with all it's connotations. *g*

I'd like to keep the domain name short, because I'm pretty sure I'll end up typing links to the site out by hand at some point. And then you could do all the creative things people are suggesting with the rest of the address, like adding /fair-use, or /archive, or /vids.

Re: FanScribe.org

[melodyclark.livejournal.com]

Proviso on all my replies -- I know I'm too late on these, but this is just my .02 as a web host.

In my experience, you may want to shy away from hyphens. Most people will forget the hyphen when typing it in, studies have shown.

fantransformative.org

[rez-lo.livejournal.com]

Playing on the "transformative" fair use exception.

Re: fantransformative.org

[florahart]

fansformative?

[sage-theory.livejournal.com]

I like the following domain names:

thefanworks (.com, .org, .net) are all open

fandominium (.com, .org, .net) are also all open

fictorium (.com, .org, .net)

the-multiverse (.org, .net), .com is taken for this one

fenfair (.com, .org, .net) also open. Kinda sounds like "ren fair" but not. Because I have a cheesy sense of humor like that.

thefreeverse (.org .net).

and finally...

fan-fix (.com, .org, .net). The one without the hyphen is taken, but still. I like it.

[riva-today.livejournal.com]

Literata if you want to go with a more 'artsy' or academic sounding name. (.net domain can be donated)

(potential) con: sounds similar to literotica.

[ainsley.livejournal.com]

It also sounds like lit errata, which might contradict some fic being well-written and the like.

[shayheyred.livejournal.com]

Ourchive.

[iulia_linnea.livejournal.com]

This is a brilliant portmanteau!

[shayheyred.livejournal.com]

Or OurChive.

[corinna-5.livejournal.com]

Mmm, chives.

[meri-oddities.livejournal.com]

I like An Archive of Our Own a lot. We could call it to AAO3 with the 3 subscripted.

[dana-kujan.livejournal.com]

Would that be aaoo.org or aao3.org ?

[dana-kujan.livejournal.com]

fandom.org is available.

I won't say it's my favorite, but it's simple and all-inclusive.

[melodyclark.livejournal.com]

fandom.org is taken. Most dictionary one word domains are long gone.

[dr-jekyl.livejournal.com]

Fandom Free For All.

fairfanuse, Scheherazade

[slashpile.livejournal.com]

Fairfanuse is available in .com, .net, and .org. [prosaic; similar to an above option; I love just "fanfair", but it's in use by the country music folks and others.]

Scheherazade is available in .us. I guess if we interpreted it the "us" a la Lim :) [female storyteller; retelling (the collection) vs making it up (the character; keeping it alive (the woman and the tale); Plus, it really bugs me that screenwriters in particular are so willing to lay claim to the tradition of the storyteller and the power of telling tales round a fire, but think that their work is sufficiently significant for the story to stop with them.]