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Boxing stupid
A start-up called Xobni has come up with an intriguing proposition: applying the principles of web site analytics to email use. For firms, this dangles the tantalising prospect of being able to work out that your staff spend X percent of their working hours conversing with chums over the ether, where X will no doubt asymptotically approach 100 percent as the weekend approaches.
The service is one thing, the name is another. As the firm's web site explains in big letters, Xobni is “inbox backwards”. Why this should be a good thing is not elucidated, not even in small letters. To Sneak, Xobni sounds like an affliction of the middle leg-joint.
However, Sneak is certain that Xobni will kick off a craze for naming start-ups after ordinary words spelled backwards. The approach is particularly useful, as much of the right-way-round dictionary has already been registered by domain name speculators, and helpfully it takes less effort than thinking up neologisms like “Mailytics” or “Analyzamail”. It's also less incomprehensible than upside-down writing.
Once you've come up with your ideal backwards name, defensive registration may still be a good idea, however. For example, at the time of writing Xobtuo.com is still available to Xobni naysayers. As is Skcollob.com, for that matter.
I know this original post is pretty old but, seems your predictions were spot on. It's called "backwording" and it's popping up everywhere. Great job! --
http://logistiklabs.blogspot.com/2008/02/next-hot-domaining-trend-backwording.html
Posted by Rudy | March 6, 2008 5:21 PM
On a semi related note, a long time ago, I had a discussion with my gaffer regarding the worst domain name possible.
Because of this, I am the proud owner of www.dotcomforwardslash.com
I have subdomains you know... ;)
www.doubleudoubleudoubleudotbackslashbackslash.dotcomforwardslash.com
Posted by Andy Bowd | September 14, 2006 12:08 PM
You know, I've been trying to think of a suitably unsuitable domain name to use up the free registration that my webhosts have been offering me.
Thanks for the suggestion. http://skcollob.com/ will have some content sooner or later...
Posted by Les | September 11, 2006 6:24 PM
"Xobni sounds like an affliction of the middle leg"
When I read this story this morning, that was "middle leg-joint", which was quite funny because of the "ni = knee" sound-alike component of 'Xobni'. Now, the "-joint" part has been removed, and hence the reference is to a quite different part of the body, and much more vulgar. Why was this strange editorial change made? It seems to have served no purpose other than to make the comment more rude than it was before, and actually the joke now works much less well.
[The original text has since been reinstated, and the editing elves severely punished - Sneak]
Posted by Richard Hallas | September 4, 2006 4:09 PM