Coming up with a name for a project like this is something that's much more difficult than first thought... So... here's my horrible stab at it...
iCardinal
--or--
INstories
... or how about we just keep it at iMedia...
Ummm...I like something with 360. I agree that it conveys everything we're trying to do. Maybe....something...like...oh...I don't know...iMedia360. Ok...this is hard. I give up.
Ugh... I can't even remember the names of new people I meet. I can hardly remember my email address. I understand that the project needs a good name, but I doubt I'll be the creator. Regardless, I tried:
1. I seem to be the only person who LIKES "iMedia." It gives a pretty good idea of what the group is, and that little "i" seems so hip nowadays, doesn't it?
2. So then I tried to incorporate the "i" into a new name. I thought "iNews" had a nice ring to it... until I remembered that's the name of our program in the newsroom.
3. I like something like "MassMedia," too, even though it doesn't really describe what we do.
I like the idea of "LocalAge," but I'm worried that if we get too creative with the name, people won't know what we're doing. But it sounds so cool!
For a while I was trying to come up with a phrase that incorporated news and interactive and local and cross platform storytelling.
After a page of scribbles in my notebook, they all looked really unfun things that only news junkies would download.
That said I came up with Scoop. I think it is a fun name, that doesn't tie us down to anything specific. I realize that some may say that it doesn't say anything about what we are, but does interactive news network really say much to a casual news reader? --and Scoop rolls of the tongue a little better.
I also came up with names like: LowDown (to be hip with the kids) and NewsFlash.
But I think I stand behind Scoop.
I was the original person that came up with the idea that "IMedia" was a bad name for this class.
It seemed bland, and if put on a resume, it just seems like it could be just about anything, from an ice cream truck to a class that is given at Ball State University.
Four weeks later, I feel as if I've made progress, but not quite sure if any of these will stick...
- BSUTube
- Chirp TV
- Ball State 360 (Sorry for stealing from whoever I stole the 360 from, but at the same time we originally wanted Ball State Sports Link to be named this...)
- BSU Pod News
- Prestige World Wide
I'm going to echo everyone else that has posted already and say that coming up with a new name for iMedia was difficult. A name that has the essence of what we're trying to do all in 10 characters or less is elusive.
Basically what I'm saying is this: I don't have any decent ideas.
I do think that we need to keep "local" in mind. Tasha mentioned that we should stick to local news; nobody is going to go to our application for national news. That's what CNN is for.
Here are the two (lame) ideas I came up with: LocalLink, keeping with the NewsLink idea, and Now/Local, which gives the sense that users can get the news they want immediately and locally.
Trying to come up with a short name for a very complicated project is difficult. If there was only one element to the class, the interactive television or the iPhone application, there would be more options. As it is, the name has to be less specific to cover both bases.
My first thoughts went immediately to news, since it's the central focus of what the class is all about. On that front, I came up with the idea of NewsSource (or NewSource, but I think we need both full words). I also thought about the interactive nature of what we're doing and came up with iNews. I don't like the 'i' prefix because it seems to be taking over the world so that one isn't my favorite. I also came up with YourNews (or URnews, depending on the demographics we're trying to hit with this thing), AnywhereNews and AllNews.
Aside from thinking of new names for the project, I've also been hard at work on mini marathon graphics. I finally got the files from a previous project, only to find out that many of the parts were either missing or extremely small. As a result, I'm in the process of recreating many of the illustrations for the project. It's going to be more work than I thought, but I should have everything done by next week when content is due.
Designing for the interactive television is difficult because of the restrictions on navigation and the large size of the screen. I learned a lot from what I did last semester so I'm trying to apply that to the mini marathon graphics I'm working on now.
I was trying to think of a word that would sum up the concepts. Interactive multimedia news on demand wherever you are, when you want it. A word that was short, and I came up with 'GOOGLE'
Aside from that NewsNet, which though is plain it conveys a goo deal of information. As someone who sits with his friends and pokes fun at T.V. commercials and ads, a name will make or break everything. If the product just absorbs people you can have an outrageous or silly name and it wont matter, but if not your name will be how people see you. You don't want to be too technical with the name if you want to grab a wide spread audience.
Other things to consider, the name needs to make the user feel good about using the product. They should feel proud to be using it not ashamed.
Since the name iMedia is being abandon iNews is probably out as well, I also wouldn't use something that would date the product or tie it to a specific class of people like myNews.
Some other possible ideas: NewsSense or SenseNet
We've evolved from iTV to iMedia to iHaveNoClueWhatWeShouldCallThis.
I feel that we have to use the word "news" in our name. Some may disagree because they think its too obvious or its not as modern, etc. Users need to understand what the application they're opening involves.
News360 or 360News - This describes that we are pulling together all areas of news (graphics, video, text, etc.)
NEXTnews - This describes a new generation of interactive, fresh, local news.
I will agree with Tasha: coming up with a new name has been no easy task. I really think the name should emphasize "interact" because I think that's what makes what we are doing unique. It's news that people can interact with and make their own. As I'm learning in my media editing class, in today's world, it's no longer the editors choosing what's news. The people, or the audience, chooses their 'news.' They decide what is important to them and can, if they want, choose to only be informed of news they are interested in learning about. And with the interfaces we are creating, consumers of media have so many options to exploring the news.
So the two names I have come up with so far is either UserNews or Mediactive. With UserNews, I incorporated the word 'user' because a 'user' is the term used for someone who interacts with media. I think this name kind of encompasses what we are doing. We are creating user news. News for users to interact with.
Mediactive I think could also be a cool name because it combines 'media' and 'interactive.' Two things that best describe the products we are creating. It's interactive media, which can refer to the multiple forms of technology we are using or media as in news.
Originality is a rare breed in the age of the Internet. Twenty years ago, your original idea could stay original in your community even if it already existed somewhere in the world.
Now, just google your "original" idea and discover twenty other people have already had it.
The moral of the story: Coming up with a new name for our project was harder than I thought.
I came up with Localage: a combination of local and package because we are presenting multimedia packages on a local level. I realize it comes across as Local and Age as well. But, really isn't that where we are in media? The Local Age. Newspapers and T.V. stations are localizing content to give their audience a sense of ownership. Why run a national story that another big outlet can do better?
The other idea is ImmerseYou: I think President Gora would love me for this one. Enough said.