Blog Catalog Discussion: Blog Names Versus URLs

samureyed on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

samureyed — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 11:02:32 -0600

My ID for everything; samureyed, is closely related my personal blog and portfolio www.samurart.com

However my more popular blog is www.boardsanddecks.com which is represented by my gravatar.

When it comes to URLs, relevance is very important, but length is important too. Even if your blog is named the same as your URL no one is going to remember a really long URL without visiting it a bunch of times.

zencath on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

zencath — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:46:45 -0600

I always thought whitehousedotcom was named after the anti-porn campaigner, Mary Whitehouse, as a kind of ironic joke. It's funny but it never occurred to me that people might mix it up with the President's house.

ThriftShopRomantic on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

ThriftShopRomantic — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 09:35:10 -0600

And I think if you changed it or your avatar at this point, we'd all be confused! :)

legbamel on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

legbamel — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 09:12:43 -0600

Like Barry(fromTexas) I had been using the same name for years before I started blogging. Because I was going to blog about the writing I was doing elsewhere, I used legbamel as the URL for my blog. Then I realized that it needed a name and decided that my hither-to widespread avatar wasn't really professional-looking. So I got myself a quality photo that went with the name I chose (One Step Forward) et voila! Then I started making music lenses at Squidoo, then I started a music blog. Yikes! Now my avatar doesn't really go with those. [sigh] At least my name is fairly subject-neutral.

ThriftShopRomantic on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

ThriftShopRomantic — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 08:59:05 -0600

Hussy- Yup-- great story, and I totally feel for that teacher. That had to be the talk of the classroom for a while.

ThriftShopRomantic on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

ThriftShopRomantic — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 08:58:14 -0600

No, not that I know of.

roguedeals on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

roguedeals — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 08:51:24 -0600

There isn't a way to change your display name is there? I tried to find it in the profile options but it looks like you can't change it.

hussyinterrupted on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

hussyinterrupted — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 08:46:35 -0600

hah! Yeah my entire American Government class in high school figured that out when were studying the executive branch and the teacher used to the smartboard to pull up the White House's webpage. He typed .com instead of .gov. For some reason the school's webfilter didn't catch it either and it actually pulled up the site.

His face was so red I thought his head was going to explode!! Definately one of those moments our entire class will never forget!

ThriftShopRomantic on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

ThriftShopRomantic — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 08:35:45 -0600

Agreed-- I actually wonder if there's a time-limit on those sorts of things, at least with, say, Blogger and WP hosted blogs.

rmaxwell142 on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

rmaxwell142 — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 19:51:09 -0600

I know what you mean! It's good to keep things consistent, especially having your URL and Blog name as close as possible!

I get frustrated with blogs or URL's that have already been taken but nothing has been posted in a long time! I wish that they could be permanently deleted so other people could use them.

ThriftShopRomantic on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

ThriftShopRomantic — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 18:06:45 -0600

And your friends at home all say, "Hey, that's Barryfromtexas!" right? "Invite Barryfromtexas over for some brews!" :)

ThriftShopRomantic on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

ThriftShopRomantic — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 18:05:41 -0600

You did what I did with using the blog name as the username.

I think I might not have done that if I'd known in advance I would have TWO blogs and one would be unrelated to thrifting! It makes things tricky.

ThriftShopRomantic on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

ThriftShopRomantic — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 18:04:19 -0600

Maybe you need to write a spoof one. :)

ThriftShopRomantic on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

ThriftShopRomantic — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 18:03:54 -0600

You're logo is good and recognizable, and you do use it fairly consistently as far as I've seen. I think it's a smart brand.

ThriftShopRomantic on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

ThriftShopRomantic — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 18:02:36 -0600

I understand. Have you ever accidentally used the wrong account for the wrong project? (I once accidentally posted a post on my wrong blog! Confused everyone!)

ThriftShopRomantic on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

ThriftShopRomantic — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 18:01:32 -0600

I'd leave the ones you've already published-- I mean, they're out there and are a part of your history. I think we all have posts we aren't as happy about from the past.

barryfromtexas on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

barryfromtexas — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 17:26:42 -0600

Well, I was barryfromtexas long before I had any blog. I never thought of a barryfromtexas blog. :|

lordiwanttobewhole on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

lordiwanttobewhole — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 16:56:53 -0600

interesting discussion topic. I have thought about this before with my blog name and my topics. I believe my blog name and the entries with in are tied together. Mine is called Lord I want to be whole. :) I talk about my spiritual and emotional growth. I write about my journey to wellness. I talk about my prayers and my struggles.

DeadRooster on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

DeadRooster — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 16:55:03 -0600

The name of my blog is Dead Rooster at www.deadrooster.com and I get a lot of extra traffic from people searching "how to get rid of roosters"

Note: there are very few posts on my blog dealing with how to get rid of roosters.

JunkDrawer on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

JunkDrawer — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 16:48:43 -0600

When I started out, my URL was myname.blogspot.com, nothing to do with my blog's name, Junk Drawer. When I moved off Blogger to WordPress, I couldn't afford to buy junkdrawer.com, so I took junkdrawerblog.com, which is almost as good. I made my own logo and that's what I use in a lot of places as my avatar. But I also use my headshot.

You make good points about having a common theme throughout. I'd like to be a "brand" someday!

creemos on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

creemos — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 16:41:43 -0600

I use my name for the blog and url. Though I use a different image on this forum, my public "gravatar" matches more closely the web blog. Good question!

annz on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

annz — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 16:10:15 -0600

Mine is a wordpress.com blog, so I set up a second blog at the littlefoureyes.wordpress.com, which matches the title better and I have a link from there to the main blog. I don't think I can have it automatically redirect, though I should probably ask.

CrystalRaven on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

CrystalRaven — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 16:06:45 -0600

yes, a theme I tried to install blew it up :(

TrashandGarnish on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

TrashandGarnish — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 16:04:53 -0600

This is funny. I try not to do that which means I have 5 different e-mails for each art project and 3 flickrs with a photobucket and two myspace accounts...
it gets hard to keeep up with so I understand why people would combaine and use different emails for one project.
but I don't like how it looks. I liek my stuff clean and organized

jaffermaniar on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

jaffermaniar — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 16:02:12 -0600

Yes. But I started afresh at maniaravings.com - after I got a bit older and wiser.

I still have posts from maniar.ca stored somewhere - they were mostly angry rants which I now regret writing.
There are also some posts on my current blog which I have been thinking of removing.

ThriftShopRomantic on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

ThriftShopRomantic — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 15:44:21 -0600

I didn't realize you'd been blogging for three years!

jaffermaniar on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

jaffermaniar — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 15:43:00 -0600

Three years ago, I bought a domain name maniar.ca because I thought it would be cool ! But it cost me a pretty penny.
Anyway, I began a blog over there, and realized that it needed a better name than just Maniar.ca. After several re-considerations, I decided on ManiaRavings.

It was close to the domain name but it was still at odds. At the end of the year, I decided that I could not afford keeping the .ca domain.

And it was all good because maniaravings.com came way cheaper and when I moved, I had finally found my readership !

ThriftShopRomantic on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

ThriftShopRomantic — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 15:38:59 -0600

I wasn't even thinking about the blogger themselves potentially having confusion with it. Yes, that would be extremely frustrating. Perhaps you could buy a URL as a redirect?

annz on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

annz — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 15:13:16 -0600

You can add me as another one who set up my blog first, and only later came up with the final title for it - so the URL doesn't match the title. It's pretty frustrating, I have been known to accidentally give the wrong URL for my blog because I forget that it's not the same as the title. Embarrassing!

Definitely a good thing to think through before starting your blog.

ThriftShopRomantic on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

ThriftShopRomantic — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:38:33 -0600

Except, did I see it's blown up today?

CrystalRaven on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

CrystalRaven — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:31:58 -0600

yes, think I have it all down now lol

ThriftShopRomantic on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

ThriftShopRomantic — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:27:54 -0600

I do recall when you were working on naming, and changing headers around, trying to find just the right combination.

ThriftShopRomantic on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

ThriftShopRomantic — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:27:04 -0600

It does help to think of it from an outside person's perspective-- someone looking for you, or trying to make sense of your blog from just an avatar and a URL.

ThriftShopRomantic on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

ThriftShopRomantic — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:26:12 -0600

It does make a difference for search engines, certainly.

CrystalRaven on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

CrystalRaven — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:13:47 -0600

I got tons of good advice and have corrected most of my bigger mistakes now, before I get along too too far (only been blogging since august with a 2 month sick leave).
So when I was able to, I switched over to wp.org, changed site name to match a url I wanted and got, changed online name, even here, still working on stumble and technorati though lol

roguedeals on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

roguedeals — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 13:55:32 -0600

Great points, I even changed my avatar :) It's one of those things where you think it would be common sense, but I was in a rush when I set up my blogcat account and skipped right over it!

ThriftShopRomantic on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

ThriftShopRomantic — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 13:50:25 -0600

Heh, thanks. :)

Friday13 on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

Friday13 — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 13:35:14 -0600

What?! Really?

*gives you a handkerchief*

Shiley on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

Shiley — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 13:32:46 -0600

When I changed my URLs I tried to stay as close to the title as posible and it all worked out. PP is 1-4 when you search Proof Positivity on google and that is the blog I work the hardest on. The others are more personal and I just write whatever, whenever. It is a little more difficult to find certain blogs that the URLs don't match the title.

ThriftShopRomantic on 'Blog Names Versus URLs'

ThriftShopRomantic — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 13:30:30 -0600

Awww, cripes, Friday. That makes me weep a little. :(