| If you've been charged with coming up with a new | | | | sells security systems for cars involving codes. |
| company name or new product name and not given a | | | | 4. If you wanted people to visit the corresponding web |
| budget, you might be tempted to use no-cost or | | | | site, you'd always need to spell it in radio ads or over |
| low-cost name generating programs to brainstorm | | | | the telephone, to alert people to use a "y" instead of |
| candidates for you. They're abundant on the web. | | | | an "i." |
| In addition, web sites that help you purchase and | | | | Name generator programs don't warn you about |
| manage domains often have a name generating utility | | | | dangers like those described above. Only thinking |
| that not only suggests possible names but checks | | | | people can sort through a list of names and choose |
| whether or not the corresponding dot-com is available. | | | | the ones that will get your business off to a positive |
| Unfortunately, these tools usually don't solve your | | | | start. |
| naming problem. Unless you use human intelligence in | | | | On the other hand, name generating programs have |
| sorting through name possibilities, you could be in for a | | | | very limited capabilities to suggest creative possibilities, |
| naming disaster. | | | | the kind that truly capture people's imaginations. The |
| For instance, suppose we're starting an innovative | | | | programs come up with predictably patterned options |
| cars-for-sale business. One possibility suggested by | | | | that are likely to have already been used, somewhere. |
| one of the programs above is CarCrypt. This has one | | | | It takes creativity that software don't have to come up |
| thing going for it - it sounds catchy, because of the | | | | with blockbuster business names like these: |
| repeated "C's." However, it has no less than four | | | | * Rent-a-Wreck |
| strikes against it: | | | | * Google |
| 1. "Crypt" actually means an underground vault used | | | | * Consider it Done |
| for burial. People who know what this word means will | | | | * Victoria's Secret |
| think the name CarCrypt is either a museum or has to | | | | While more costly, hiring professional naming help is the |
| do with burying old cars. | | | | right idea when stakes are high, the competition is |
| 2. "Crypt" sounds similar to the "crip" in "crippled," which | | | | fierce, and you are determined to give your new |
| has a negative connotation. | | | | enterprise the very best chance it can have to |
| 3. "Crypt" also misleadingly suggests "Crypto-" in the | | | | succeed. |
| sense of codes. So some folks will guess this business | | | | |