Sunday, May 6, 2012

How (not) to name your blog

When I started this blog, I knew nothing about blogging. Which is probably a good thing. It stopped me overthinking the whole thing, which would have put off the process by about... two years. I just sort of decided to start one day and by the next I'd begun.

Naming the blog was easy. I gave no thought to niche or SEO or any of the other things that a person is supposed to think about when they name a blog. I didn't do a worldwide Google search to find out if there were other Pink Fibro blogs. It didn't even occur to me that most of the world would have no idea what a fibro even is.

I had moved from the Big Smoke to a pink fibro and I wrote about ... life. No brainer.

All of which is well and good should a person remain in their pink fibro for the rest of the life in question.

You can see where this is going, right?

The Fibro has a For Sale sign out the front. Actually, correct that, the Fibro has a For Sale sign with a giant red SOLD sticker slapped across it out the front. In six or so weeks, give or take 1000 or so anxiety attacks and stressful moments, Fam Fibro will pack itself up and take itself off to new premises (I only wish it were as easy to do that as it is to write it...).

A yellow weatherboard. A geriatric one. Henceforth known as The Old Girl. We met her unexpectedly, we fell in love and the rest is history.

The first thing that everyone says to me when I say 'guess what? we're moving!' is not 'yippee, good for you, how exciting!'... no, it's 'but what will you do about the blog name?'.

My response: 'nothing'. In hindsight, I should probably have called my blog Allison Tait's Blog and been done with it. But, seriously, where's the romance in that?

The Builder and I have lived in several homes together. Homes on which we've lavished inordinate amounts of tender love and care. Each time we've moved on, we've taken a souvenir. A house number from one. A gate from another. Every single potted plant we've ever watered.

When I asked him what we'd take as a souvenir from the Fibro, he laughed. "We'll take the blog, of course." No brainer.

So, here's my thinking. The Fibro has no boundaries. It has no walls. Its spiritual home will remain here on the worldwide web. See, when I write it like that it makes perfect sense, right?

Anyway, I hope that you'll stick along for the ride and enjoy the next chapter with us. Because, really, Life In A Yellow Weatherboard just doesn't have the same ring to it at all.

How did you name your blog? Have you ever had cause to question or second-guess your choice?



58 comments:

  1. Ah, good to hear. I have been awake nights worrying about this.*

    *Not really. But CONGRATULATIONS and enjoy the old girl!

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  2. Wow how exciting. I love moving house. The old girl sounds like quite the find :)

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  3. Woo! Love an adventure. Pink, yellow. Doesn't really matter. We're following YOU after all xx

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  4. Congrats on the move! I think you're right in keeping the name the same.

    I go back and forth in my mind about whether my blog's name is "Too Timid and Squeamish" (the url) or "(Don't Be) Too Timid and Squeamish" (the header and how I usually write it). I guess it doesn't matter, but I think I should know! And I think the parentheses confuse people.

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  5. How exciting! No, I can't imagine this blog being called anything else.

    My blog name came to me in one of those moments just before you fall asleep.

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  6. Congrats Al, hope the move goes well. Gonna paint the weatherboard pink? ;)
    My blog title of I'll Think Of A Title Later was very literal. Was setting up the blog, had no idea what I was doing since I had only thought about it for about 12 minutes before ploughing into it, then came to the part where it asked me for a blog title. I stared blankly for about 5 seconds, then thought "Oh fuck it, I'll think of a title later."
    Cue the Epiphany. "Hmmm. That could actually work as a title..."
    Decided to leave out the "oh, fuck it" part.

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  7. Totally agree that we can't have Life in a Yellow Weatherboard. It's a much harder sell! But congrats on the move. My travel blog's title (Not A Ballerina) is another stunning example of starting a blog when you don't know anything about it (to be fair, it was 2005 so hardly anybody did) and certainly not knowing what SEO was. But then I just became too attached and apart from adding a subtitle I just couldn't change it. When I teach blogging courses I call it "ballerina syndrome" and tell my students to do as I say, not as I do (or did, at least).
    Happy moving, although I'm glad it's you and not me!

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  8. Good luck with the move! I actually changed the name of my blog over a year ago (to match my business name). It was a transition and I lost a lot of followers, but it all worked out. And I love the way my blog compliments my business and vice versa.

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  9. Since I have multiple blogs (personal, writing, our future log cabin, general life ramblings, our dog, motorcycling) I've had to name a lot of blogs. I've even had four different writing blogs (Write for Ten, One Sentence - closed now).

    The only blog I wish I had named differently (by blog URL) is our Riding Route 66 in [insert year]. We originally planned on 2011, that got delayed to 2012 and is now again delayed till 2013. So I keep changing the blog header name but the URL is stuck in 2011. LOL!

    Think I'm going to like your blog...

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  10. Wow - that is big news! Glad you're keeping the same name - that makes sense. Although when i first started reading you I had no idea what a fibro was (it means something different over here).

    No idea what I was thinking when I called mine deer baby.

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  11. And now, when you write about life in a pink fibro, we'll know you really mean life in the yellow weatherboard. Details, shmetails. It's the philosophy that counts, and that won't change.

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  12. I now have approximately 1000 excellent names for my blog which I didn't have when, like you, I just slapped the first thing that came to mind on it. At least for now I have no plans of selling off the 4 kids and the dog .. although, some days ;-)
    And yes, spiritual home of the pink fibro is a lovely way of looking at it. We are in a yellow house now too. It is a great colour but not a great blog name.
    All the best with the move,
    Michelle

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  13. I called mine Mummy Plum as that was what my toddler son called me at the time. I couldn't think of anything better, and I figured, I would waste years trying to think of a name and not get to the blogging part. It's only been 9 months, but I'm still here. I kind of wish I hadn't got 'Mummy' in the title now, as I write about everything and anything not just motherhood really, but I'm not sure what to change it to either.

    I've been reading for a while and I love your blog. Good luck with the move.

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  14. Like you, I gave it no thought, in fact, I gave the blog no thought because if I had I would still be thinking. So late one night, while reading a friend's blog, I clicked on "create a blog" or something similar, and started typing. The name happened because there was a blank space to fill and thankfully, it's worked well (with minor adjustments). I say stick with pink, it's your beginning!

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  15. Oh Al! You could knock me down with a feather! Congratulations! I thought you and the builder were wed to the pink fibro - but a move! How exciting!

    (And here's me, just about to post this morning on the very same topic of moving house...)

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  16. Do you have before and after photos of the Fibro?

    Would love to see them when the move is done and dusted.

    My blog title? Well, I've' been Madmother since before eBay hit Oz, so that bit was easy... and le's face it. Meaninless Meanderings is exactly what it is!

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  17. Holy crap. I'm in trouble if we ever move!! My blog name just doesn't even make sense to anyone outside of qld...really. Fun and VJs. It has more of a female hygiene ring about it than a renovating an old house feel.... Or everyone thinks I'm a video jockey VJ! For the record it means vertical join and are what the walls are our house.

    Congratulations on the new house. New chapters are always exciting! xx

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  18. Congratulations on the sale & your new place! I named my blog based on my business at the time, which has since changed but I can't change the URL address without starting a whole new blog. So now it's just confusing..

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  19. Congratulations on the sale & your new place! I named my blog based on my business at the time, which has since changed but I can't change the URL address without starting a whole new blog. So now it's just confusing..

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  20. Congratulations on the sale & your new place! I named my blog based on my business at the time, which has since changed but I can't change the URL address without starting a whole new blog. So now it's just confusing..

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  21. Oh, big news! Sounds exciting - hope it all goes well.

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  22. Firstly congratulations on the move! At first I thought you were going to tell me you'd sold your blog! So seeing you are moving house is a relief :)

    I know what you mean about blog names - I started mine in a hurry (and long before I knew such a thing as a blogosphere existed) and would have over thought it as well given the chance... But I do have rumblings about what to do when I'm no longer worrying about Nappies (which may be very soon!)

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  23. Congratulations on the move! We will be following suit about a month after - to a raw timber weatherboard (okay, its brown). Glad to hear your blog title will be following you (just leave those fibreboards where they are!) We lived in a fibro in Freo and I am glad our asbestos days are behind us. My blog is named after a favourite beach of ours and the feeling that we have found our place in the world here. SEO has nothing to do with it!

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  24. Ooh excitement! Looking forward to meeting the Old Girl! We are moving Swish offices this week so when you start talking about how painful moving is, I will be here with a sympathetic ear ;)

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  25. well congrats - I love a good move - we move a fair amount - last time in Jan this year from Oberon back to Brisbane ... I think your name is perfectly sound and your builder has it right :) enjoy the pack if that is possible :) le xox

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  26. Oh and we live in a mustardy yellow weatherboard :) at present ...

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  27. Nothing like moving house to do a little de-cluttering! Congrats!
    My blog name did do a change as I wasn't completely happy with the original, but now I can't think of anything else! (not sure when/if we ever move though too....might just have to only look for houses that are number 32 in the street lol)

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  28. Congrats on the new purchase. The old lady sounds like a fine old dame (although for your sake, I hope she is continent. Nothing worse than a leaky old lady). Good luck with the move. x

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  29. Exciting but stressful at the same time!!!

    Good luck!

    Deb

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  30. I hope the move goes well. I'm glad you are keeping the spirit of the Pink Fibro.

    I had wanted to call my blog For the Love of Chocolate but it was taken. Glad I didn't as I don't eat much chocolate anymore.

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  31. Hahaha - yeah, it really doesn't have the same ring to it.
    Good luck!!

    I knew I'd be writing mostly about my experiences dealing with girly shyte - so I thought, what's more womanly than estrogen? Thus, it was decided.

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  32. Congratulations! Hope The Old Girl brings you just as much inspiration!

    Mine was easy to name - afterall I drive around with that "label" everyday.

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  33. Your blog name is an awesome souvenir and not only that, a legacy. The house that inspired you to share it all on the internet. My blog name? Well Brave New Me was obviously inspired by Aldus Huxley's (is that how you spell his name? I should research before commenting but I am a tad lazy today) book, Brave New World. I just wanted to turn the endless programming of me into something a little different, where my dreams are at and create some new brain connections to heal over whatever it was that killed my creativity. Although I am not a prolific blogger with more real life friends following than newly met cyber ones, I suspect my blog's name will change as I figure out where I fit. Like you I didn't know anything about blogging - just started one day after I read a blog post for the first time (after discovering this blogger in a magazine). Congrats on the sale of Pink Fibro and I hope you find endless inspiration at Chez Yellow Weatherboard. xx Fi

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  34. Congratulations on taking the plunge and making the move! The grande dame sounds lovely, and I look forward to seeing/hearing more about her.

    As for the blog name, I think it's pretty clear (especially after reading all the above comments) that blogs evolve and change just as we do, to reflect the new stages of our lives. I think it's entirely appropriate that the Pink Fibro remains the state of mind in which it all began for you. And if you *do* decide to change it later, to reflect some other aspect of you? Well, I'll still be here reading. :)

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  35. I do wonder what I will do with my blog if we decide to move back to the city. I will cross that bridge if it becomes a problem!

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  36. *snap*, we both used the word "inordinate" today.
    You know, when people tell me they're moving, the last thing I think about is the blog name, because most of them don't have a home description as part of the name.
    My own for instance, describes me, not my home.

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  37. Congratulations on the new pad! Exciting times ahead! It's funny, I think of you as life in a pink fibro regardless of the fact you may not live in a pink fibro - it would be strange if you changed it to allow fibro :-)

    But I clearly didn't think ahead when I named my Blog, which I started to document our journey back to Tasmania and this place more specifically. The "Farmlet, 4 kid lets and a Whippet" bit is problematic -what if we move, have another child or (god forbid) the Whippet may die. Hmmm

    Hope the move goes smoothly :-)

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  38. Congrats... may the move be smooth. How exciting, and I love that your blog is what you'll take with you.

    I have a blog name, a Facebook page, even a blog header, just not a blog - yet. It's actually inspired by one of your posts - "Watching". Look out for "Tiny Moments." Coming soon.

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    1. I am so excited by that. I loved that little post. One of my faves. Look forward to Tiny Moments. :-)

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  39. What's SEO? (Just kidding).

    I had to come up with my blog name in a bit of a rush, and while it made sense to me at the time (a blog about my journey of being a mum and a writer and trying to find the 'me' in all my other identities) it makes little sense now, and doesn't quite evoke the true meaning of the blog.

    But I have no better ideas as to what to call it, so From Mum to Me it will stay. For now.

    I love that it was your husband who said that the blog was the one thing you would take from this house. I don't think my husband even knows I write!

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  40. Yes! I actually just changed my blog name which was quite difficult and I think I lost a few followers because blogger "lost" me and wasn't redirecting folks. I was Florida Girl in Oklahoma because that's why I started blogging, because I moved, had no friends and needed something for me. Now I'm Accidentally Beautiful because that's how my life is. Quite beautiful, but stunningly by accident.

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  41. You will always be the Pink Fibro...it never really was the house.
    And it is catchy.

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  42. First of all, congratulations on your move!

    I named my blog Home In Douglas because that is where we live and will probably stay (my husband wants to be buried in the back yard!). If we ever do move, I will keep the blog name because Douglas is more than a place, it is a way of life!

    I can't wait to see pictures of your new home!

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  43. Thanks everyone - you guys are so supportive! Now, who wants to come over and help me pack boxes???

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    1. I see there was no reply to this question... Have fun!

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  44. Congratulations on the upgrade! Your blog title spells it all out so I couldn't imagine you finding something better. I'm not sure if I'm happy with my blog name, sometimes I am and other times I'm not. "A Labour of Love" doesn't speak of sewing even though I came up with that name because I feel like each of my projects are a labour of love. When you google it you mostly get sites relating to childbirth!!! So I have been thinking about a change, I'm not sure whether I should and I haven't come up with anything that really grabs me and is original. I would love to tell you the idea I came up with today but I don't want anyone to steal it in case I decide to use it. It refers to a tragic 80's pop song.

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  45. Congratulations on the new house Allison. Best of luck with the packing - I don't envy you there! ;)

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  46. Oh what??? You're selling the pink fibro and you've sold - all in one post!! What have I missed? Oh man, I am sooo not the person to ask about moving. We moved into our shed 4 days ago!! All the very best with it all Al. Looking forward to meeting the yellow lady. I'm so glad you're not changing your blog name:)

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  47. Oh house change, how fab... Your blog is all about whee you are at when you start it so it's fab it will hold history and memories forever in its title.... Mine was named after the dream I hoped would come to fruition... It did and I still love the name x

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  48. I'd follow you to your little yellow weatherboard no problems! But you'll always be a pink fibro in my heart x Exciting times for you. Can't wait to hear all about it.

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  49. I like the sound of both your houses, but I am partial to a weatherboard. When I knew I wanted to start a site for parents of teenagers, the name The Kids Are All Right just came to me immediately. I liked that it was really positive and reassuring, when us parents spend so much time worrying.

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  50. Thanks for letting us know :)

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  51. Congrats! But for what it's worth, I'd still read along @ Yellow Weatherboard.

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  52. Yep, I have regretted my blog name. When I started I wanted something about paid work and parenting, and about hard slog or figuring things out as I go... so Working Through It came to mind, though I wasn't entirely happy with it. But the URL was taken so I had to use keepworkingthroughit, as I couldn't think of anything better. Since then I've come up with a name I think is better but I'm not quite game to change it. Oh well - live and learn I guess!

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  53. That's not how you spell it is it! Bloody auto correct. Hoing

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  54. How exciting Allison! I live in a geriatric yellow weatherboard - she leans a little but loves alot. We're about to embark on a renovation so I can relate to your anxiety attacks - I worry about losing the sense of family, friendships and good times we've had here by changing things and making things new.

    Naming my blog was what finally motivated me to start one, after umming and ahhing for ages - someone posted a thing about creating your band name and album cover:

    1 - Go to Wikipedia. Hit “random”, The first random Wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.

    2 - Go to Quotations Page and select "random quotations", The last four or five words of the very last quote on the page is the title of your first album.

    3 - Go to Flickr and click on “explore the last seven days”, Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

    It worked a treat! I love the quote, love the photo and my blog name is so random I can never even find it myself if I search, but that's OK with me!

    Can't wait to share your journey.

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