17th July 2000

Name branding is important for every Net entity. Four years ago, there were still a handful of 'common' domains up for grabs. So, why did I choose Lockergnome? It's unique and more memorable than most 'tech' URLs. Who knew that GNOME would become a major Linux desktop environment? I wonder how many other 'gnome' domains are out there. Using a field-supporting search engine (like ALTAVISTA.COM), I could enter the term: 'url:gnome' (sans apostrophes and spaces). Every indexed Web address containing that word will be listed, whether it appears in the actual domain name or within the full URL. Beat the system before it beats you; by doing a little bit of research, you'll get a better idea as to what kind of sites carry "your word." How is it already being branded? Can you go with something different? Is someone squatting?