10 Worst Web 2.0 Names

Picking a name for a website these days is hard - really hard. I know - I've just been through the process. We went through three different site names before finally landing on YourStreet (which, by the way, launches today). There are so many name squatters out there - people who have registered domain names with no intention of ever using them - that pretty much any name you can dream up is now taken.

Seems like there's an unwritten rule now that to be considered a Web 2.0 company your name has to end in "io", "eo" "ia", etc. But the difficulty in finding a name is no excuse for some of the abominations we see out there. It's never easy to tell someone their company name sucks, but someone's gotta do it. So here is my take on the top 10 worst Web 2.0 names:

10. Blufr, Grazr, SoonR, Socializr, Stockpickr, Talkr, Zapr - enough with "r"s already! Yes, Flickr sounds cool. Blufr does not.

9. Neighboroo, Newroo, Squidoo - what's with all the "oo" names? Are these companies trying to market themselves to kindergarteners?

8. Famster - this is a social network for families. The site's hamster-looking mascot only re-emphasizes what a horrid name this is.

7. PageFlakes - does your site have dandruff?

6. Megite - I'm not even sure why I don't like this one. It just makes my teeth hurt.

5. Citizendium - Believe me, adding "dium" after citizen does not make it any sexier.

4. Agloco - quite the mouthful

3. Competitous - great - have a boring name that you can't spell and means nothing

2. Tailrank - "tail" meaning hindquarters, "rank" meaning smelly or foul. Why on God's green earth would you want to combine these two words?

1. Klostu - where to begin with this one? Quick word association: colostomy, klutz - not good words to be associating with your company.

OK, I will be the first to admit I'm being hard on these companies. And I also want to emphasize that I cast no aspersions on their business models. All of these companies may turn out to be wildly successful. But it will not be because of their names.

Next up: 10 Best Web 2.0 names (and yes, there are 10 good ones out there, believe it or not).

YourStreet.com Launches This Friday the 13th

We've chosen lucky Friday the 13th of April to officially launch the YourStreet.com website.

YourStreet.com is a new online community that brings neighbors together to learn and share vital details about their local area. YourStreet.com is the only real estate website to link up homeowners, buyers and renters at the neighborhood level.

YourStreet.com empowers consumers to make smarter decisions about where to buy or rent. Learning about a neighborhood is a crucial step in the home buying or renting process, but until now community information online has consisted of business reviews or dry statistics.

YourStreet.com brings neighborhoods to life by tapping into the unique perspectives of local experts – the people who live there. Local residents and those from outside an area can gain valuable insider knowledge about a community by learning what neighbors say about topics like the quality of local schools, how the housing market is faring in their area, how long the commute is, and how new developments will affect the neighborhood.

For a press release on the launch as well as screenshots and logos, see the YourStreet Blog.