You may have noticed dear readers—dear reader?—the rather fluid nature of the blog’s name. I apologize to those having to continually update their blogroll, but I am having some naming troubles. In a nutshell: I can’t settle on one.
When I first started this blog way back … last week … not much thought went into specifics such as what to call it. My primary goal was to communicate what WBUR is doing online, while avoiding all the self-congratulatory high-fiving of a corporate press release. I also wanted a place for your feedback on what we are doing—or what we should be doing online.
This blog launched as “Radio Daze,” but shortly thereafter I renamed it “Yup, ‘bur Blogs,” which I ultimately decided was too glib, and so I settled on “The Converstation” (Its genesis: a typo on a pledge banner). The amalgam of “station” with “conversation” hints at what public broadcasters should, in my opinion, strive for in this Web 2.0 world. But I fear the name might be too clever by half.
So help me iron out this naming thing. If I go with your suggestion, this highly coveted “This American Life” shirt is yours to bring home and iron. This is a rare find, folks, and supplies are extremely limited (and if you must inquire, I found them stashed in the reception-area closet (hey, I got connections!). The shirt features a stylized show logo under which “This American Life” is translated into Japanese or Chinese characters. I have no idea why, when, or how. All I know is it came from the closet. And I can’t promise we have your size but I will do my best to match it.
Good luck.
I should also mention that Thursday I am attending my first Social Media Breakfast in Cambridge. I hope to meet some of you there.
Boston-ness, public radio-ness, a certain center left intelectuallism and dialogue all seem central here. Concepts:
1. SmahtSpot
2. The Common
3. UnCommon
4. OnCommon
5. WhatBeUR?
6. WBURSS
It’s a start.
I just found this blog yesterday and was thinking what a great name “Radiodazed” was. So if I wwere you, I would keep the name, iron the shirt and wear it to breakfast on Thursday.
I’d just call it:
WBUR: In A Nutshell.
Thanks for the input guys. Looks like I’ve got some deciding (and possibly some ironing) to do.
Anybody else out there want to chime in?
I think “The Converstation” is a great name. Too clever for WBUR listeners…. never.
Here are a couple of other suggestions:
1. This WBUR Life
2. WBUR Things Considered
3. WBUR 2.0
Good Luck!
Thanks Gerard! Nice word play there.
[…] The hours our fast-dwindling in the historic “This American Life” shirt-giveaway. Posit a name for this blog so you too can be in the […]
Another vote for “The Converstation.”
Ken:
I like these elements:
WBUR: The Converstation
Leave the 2.0 stuff out – it will change like tomorrow, or ten minutes ago and the blog will look stuffed.
Not too clever at all. (For heaven’s sake! It is WBUR – who do you think is listening?)
I will continue this argument at the social media breakfast tomorrow – I want that shirt!
I guess I’m a fan of twists on old ideas:
fit to blog
the daily radio
behind the sheets
reports from the radio
paid for by you
letter from wbur
🙂
Don’t use “OnCommon”… That’s mine already…
That closet by reception sounds magical.
I like the current title, “The Converstation.” But maybe you should add to it?
How about, “The Converstation Starters”?
Hmmmm, maybe….
George, George, George of the Urban Jungle?
WBUR: Blog Edition
The Web Converstation
The BUR-Blog
– All The Airwaves That’s Fit To Print
– iWBUR Blog
– Bloggin’ Airwaves
– Da No Name Blog
– The WBUR Frequency
– Converstation Airwave
– Airwaves of Converstation
Good luck!
p.s. hope that T comes in XXXL for big guys like myself.
How about TypeRadio?
WeBUR?
we + web + wbur + your.
Or you could get all fancy with
WeBURlog
web + (we + wbur + your + blog) + log.
wBURadio
AfterBURner
mediafusion
mediajones
zeitgiestgetter
I am both surprised and delighted that a number of you cited some variation of “Converstation.” I was convinced that one was going to be a dud.
LOL “George of the Urban Jungle”! Maybe I will steal that for my personal blog. But sadly, it triggers memories of how someone in high school used to tease me by repeatedly singing that cartoon jingle.
Interesting arthimetic there Chris.
Afterburner. Kinda like that. And zeitgiestgetter has a kinda funky, intellectual ring to it.
Thank you all for the suggestions.
Boy, this is going to be long night…
“The Ken of George”
I will need that shirt in 3X-Large sir. Thank you.
I like Converstation for the Net, but it doesn’t lend itself to on-air promo.
“That’s “converSTATION, like in radio station, with an extra T…”
Clunky.
LOL: “The Ken of George” Maybe for my personal blog.
Mike: point well taken re: “converSTATION”
Decisions…decisions…
[…] closet I can come with a single winner is Mike Trap, whose comments (in this thread here) inspired the convention I finally settled on (uppercased “S” in “Station”). But if you […]
Ken –
I wanted to wait a while before commenting because this is not a name suggestion, but an observation:
The shirt says “American Life,” and if I were asked to translate I’d have added two more characters that would describe “This.” Of course, shirt’s already made/given away, and I’m adding this comment at the risk of sounding a bit like a language snob.
I adore “The ConverStation.” Congratulations on your decision!
Darn! I new we should have hired a translator.
Thanks for the vote of confidence in the blog’s name.