NewName

We need a new name

I agree with everyone who has suggested a name different from "AltSlashdot".

So far, none of the suggested alternatives seem to be popular (I considered "ForkSlashdot" and discarded it :-).

I think the best course is to get things up and running and then hold a name contest. A community effort should make this task easy.

We don't have to do this immediately. "AltSlashdot" is significantly different from "Slashdot", and we won't be poaching any of their stories or (as much as practical) style.

If things go very well, the new site might be up and running by Monday (Feb 10). Giving some time to settle in, we could have the contest in two weeks or so. If everything goes well...

Name change discussion

I propose "NoBeta" as a name, ensuring that this new site never forgets its roots. It's a name with an [ongoing] story behind it, has all sorts of 31337 connotations, etc etc. It could make for a good story some day.

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Someone below proposed "NotBeta" as a name, with the "!β" as its shorthand. I'm all in for that!

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Second NotBeta.org -That url should be obtained as it is a winner!!! Plus unicode support is the one feature anyone actually wants implemented.

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SGT CAPSLOCK

killbeta.org? diebetadie.org?

unitron

• Really, I'm sold on AltSlashdot, but I just want to make sure that there will be enough Natalie Portman.

If we turn a profit by the end of the year, I'll put a Natalie Portman link on the front page.

• Can we somehow get Cowboyneal back? Can we plan some evil way to get him fired from his current job and desperate enough to come back reestablish the Slashdot community as its tribal leader?

• I think we should veer away from establishing an identity based on Dice, the Beta or our strong negative feelings about those. This is about re-establishing the community and giving us a new home, one that belongs to the community and isn't beholden to some evil corporate overlords. Alluding to slashdot is okay -- I agree with SGT CAPSLOCK that we shouldn't forget our roots. --voidphoenix (710468) (talk)

New Name

Please comment. For actual proposals, see the tables below.

• Consider a name change. If you're serious about this, then the name "AltSlashdot" will run you into legal trouble down the road, since Slashdot/Dice/etc. will sue for Trademark infringement (and will have a solid case). Slashdot user tpaudio suggested "Plusdot". Another idea (mine) is to call it "divergence" or "divergence operator"... the logo would be the mathematical form of divergence, i.e. nabla symbol followed by a dot (which looks like an augmented "slash dot"). --Slashdot user JustinOpinion.
  • I agree with JustinOpinion, any name with "slash" or "dot" in it will put us in the crosshairs of Dice's lawyers, and we do not want that. "Divergence" is nice. --User:Sir Garlon 16:36, 2014-02-06 (EST)
  • I like Divergence too. Also fitting that it's a unicode character, which Slashdot can't handle... --Anonymous Coward
  • Perhaps altslash.org? Sounds far enough from slashdot to avoid problems, but close enough to clue in any refugees. Max Hyre (talk) 08:34, 6 February 2014 (MST)
  • I'm gonna vote for divergence, I think the name along speaks to the community as to why we want something different/better than the aim of SlashFail Beta. (keick)
  • Vote for divergence also for the same reasons as mentioned above (Qwade)
  • I also vote for divergence anything that comes out of this will probably be eyed by Dice legal. (Nightbrood)

• I agree that AltSlashdot is hard to pronounce, but wasn't that the idea behind h-t-t-p-colon-slash-slash-slash-dot-dot-o-r-g (that is should be hard to pronounce)? Dotancohen (talk) 08:41, 6 February 2014 (MST)

• The name "AltSlashdot" does not "mouth" well. May I suggest "Slashfork"? --Koen (talk) 08:52, 6 February 2014 (MST)

• How about betterthanbeta.org or similar? After all, we all know what created this. Another option would be some meme-based thing, like frostyhotgrits.org. Actually, frostyhotgrits.org would be both unique, and make most Slashdotters feel right at home. Greets, Iskender (1040286) 86.50.93.164 09:39, 6 February 2014 (MST)

• backslashdot.org. Backslash. Back to basics. Back to the old school. Hell yea.
  • Alternatively - why not a more elegant backslash.org ? --kell
  • I agree with backslash.org, seems to be up for sale.

• can we get one of those new top-level domains, like .bank, except instead get .dot? Then name it SlashSlash.dot ;-)

• I second the person who suggested dot-dot-slash (../). Going up a directory is like going "back", which is the purpose of the new site - going back to how things used to be.
  • This does seem to be the clear winner. Though backslash.com (which appears to be a parked domain) would work well too, since it's not *immediately* obvious legally that we stole the name (back slash dot com) from slashdot. Too bad dashdot.com and slashdotdash.com are both real in-use sites. slashdotdashdot.com appears to be parked, though.
  • I second backslash.com if the domain can be obtained. ../ would be the subtler option, and I'm in favor of it.

• May I suggest HashBang (#!), I think it has a slightly better ring to it than hashbash
  • I think anything with "#!" is probably going to be too close to Crunchbang Linux. They use that exact shorthand symbol. - Cactus

• Some fantastic ideas: SlashStar (/*), SlashSlash (//), ShebangShebang (#!#!), HotGrits, SovietSlashdot, DotSlash (./), DotSlashDot (./.), GNU/Slashdot (GNU//.), GNS (GNS = "GNP's Not Slashdot", and GNP = "Grits on Natalie Portman"), CowboyNeal.net, RoblimosOrphans.org, BangBangBang (!!!), CarrotSlashSlashSlashDot (^\/\.), YoungPastyHonkies.net, NoDiceSlashdot, SlashReset (/Reset), Carrotdot (^.), SlashHash (/#), PurpleTaro, CowboyNealOption, DennisRitchieIsGod.com, Ctrl-H (^H), Ctrl-C (^C), HGNP (Hot Grits on Natalie Portman)
• *.onion

• altslashctrl -- sort of gets the point across

• nodice.org and no-dice.org are unfortunately not available. -- Stderr dk (talk) 12:00, 6 February 2014 (MST)

• dicetoss.org is available

How much would dice holdings sell the classic slashdot.org site for? They can keep SlashTV, SlashBI, etc.

• I think the name should be kept to two syllables or less. Some of my favorites: dotdot (..), notdot(!.), backslash (\). Although it may be better to define the site based on what it is (is there any vision here other than 'slashdot classic'?) rather than what it isn't (slashdot beta). If this gains traction, it will be on its own merits and not because it forked slashcode. Maybe something like hashtech (#tech)? Works for old school IRC nerds and twitter hashtags.
  • Not that I'm a particular fan of social media, but I do like #tech.
  • +1 for backslash. Sounds like backlash, refers to Slashdot, and still a keyboard character. Apparantly, the domain BACKSLASH DOT ORG is for sale: [1] (Moderator - 189749)
  • +1 for backslash here..

• How about BangDot or KillDot? It sounds similar, but it is different enough than nobody will be able to claim it leads to confusion.
• How about Tildedot? h-t-t-p-colon-slash-slash-dot-tidle-dot-dot-org? (keick)
  • Or maybe !|.org? BangPipe :) (keick)

• Can we stick these in a table please? With a column that indicates their status (taken - in use / taken - parked / available)? It also makes sense to group them into classes like: anti-dice, recognisably-similar-to-slashdot, novel. FatPhil (talk) 14:07, 6 February 2014 (MST) (FatPhil)

• I vote for hashbang.com unfortunately it seems that someone is parked on it. (Githaron)

• I think it has to be of the same spirit as slashdot. Taco wanted it to be confusing for people to type into a browser after hearing it h-t-t-p-colon-slash-slash-slash-dot-dot-org. I suggust something in that vein, tuned to the current mobile app store. I'd suggust something like the PlayAppStore. You'd sound like an idiot trying to explain it to someone else: go to playappstore

• Or we could go really go back to chips & dip, the previous name of slashdot,

it looks like the domain name has expired when i did a whois search. I liked the idea of using hashbang but like someone else pointed out it is used...

• I second both "chips and dip" and "dotdotslash" as clever alternatives. Divergence is second tier but I will also support it if no other alternatives gain traction.
  • thirded: Chips and dips . I registered chipsndips.org just in case and am willing to share. If nobody likes it I still have a good domain name ;-)

• Is something like slashplusplus or something similar available? I like it because it is an increment of the past variable. Only downside is the slash in the name might not sit well with Dice legal. Trying to stay true to Taco's original naming convention is going to be difficult. (Nightbrood)

• My suggestions/picks would be hashslash (#/ -- not slashhash, btw); backslash (this is probably easier to defend if Dice tries to argue trademark); hotgrits (it's a short, catchy, very uniquely slashdot meme that also alludes to news, as in "hot off the presses"); frostpist (another strongly slashdot-flavored meme). --voidphoenix (710468) (talk)

• I'll also throw this in: RTFC (read the fucking comments, because as several people have pointed out in the FuckBeta threads, slashdot has always been more about the community and the comments we post, and not really about the articles). --voidphoenix (710468) (talk)

I liked this idea, but the domain is taken by the Refinery Terminal Fire Company.

• Along the RTFC line, how about TCR - The Comment Router?

• Why do all the names have to reference slashdot in some way? Move on... think of something completely different and leave the past behind.

• NewsForNerds, NetNews, NerdsOnTheNet, NerdNews, NerdNewsDot,StuffAndThings -- ngarrang
  • ---I second NewsForNerds (would love News4Nerds, and have the shortened version as N4N with a backwards N (Nine Inch Nails fan))--Gaaark (talk) 09:44, 8 February 2014 (MST)

• How about Starslash? The logo would be */ which looks like /. rotated 180 degrees. Might still be a trademark issue, but I think it would be acceptable as fair use since it would be a protest site. -- danbert8

• I second HotGrits - it references SlashDot in a good way without aping it (it was a user-generated meme), and it evokes "hot" news & discussion. Unfortunately hotgrits.org is now taken. If you have a great idea for a name maybe consider buying the domain before posting it here...

• Something like http://url.com or http://hostname.com would be awesome. It'd preserve the original spirit of being a pun, while being immidately aknowleadgable by the general audience.

• hotgrits, frostpist, RTFC, are all good. RTFC is taken except for rtfc.us.com. These all reference slashdots culture with directly referencing slashdot explicitly. I don't like any of the dice or beta names as they won;t mean anything when slashdot goes the way of myspace...

• Personally, I recommend a name like ConfirmedDead, in reference to the "Netcraft confirms" meme. It's also fitting, considering it might very well soon be applicable to Slashdot itself. - UntypedLambdaCalculus (talk)

• I'll plug my own suggestion AtNot. It kind of rhymes. It's shorter. It's got a decent abbreviation @! Domain's available.

• No car references? I has a sad now.

• +1 for !β - the other names are not better^H^H^Ha - why invite trouble with trademark issues etc...

Name Options

Please add ideas to these tables. Where possible, note if the URL is available. Consider adding your username to the 'votes' column.

References to Slashdot, Beta, Dice, etc.

Name	Rendering	URL	Comments/Votes
AltSlashot	Alt/.	altslashdot.org (registered by us)	Trademark issues!
AltSlash	Alt/		Trademark issues? Max Hyre vote.
AtSlash	@/		.org appears open. "I read it at atslashdotorg"
FBeta		fbeta.org
ForkBeta		forkbeta.org
ForkSlashdot
SlashBang	/!		The .org is available.
SlashFork			Koen vote.
SlashNot	/!
BackSlash	\	backslash.org URL for sale	Slashdot actually has a subsection called 'backslash'. kell vote.
KillDot
KillBeta
DieBetaDie
BetterThanBeta			Iskender (1040286) vote.
NoDice		URL not available.
DiceToss		URL available.
NoDiceAllowed			Domain Available
ColonSlash			Because it looks funny (suggested on reddit)
SlashDash	/-
CandyCrushSlashdotSaga
NoBeta
RTFC		rtfc.us.com (.org, .net, and .com are taken)	because TFC are what /. is about -- who needs TFA, or even TFS? :)
NotBeta	!β	notbeta.org	Would need Unicode support on Slashcode-Should be done anyways
EscapeDot	^[. or \.	escapedot.org	escape as a reference to the desertion.
Firehose		firehose.org (currently parking)
newslash		.org and .com are unavailable	Trademark issues?
NewsForNerds			Trademark issues (Slashdot tagline). Gaaark vote.
NerdNewsDot

Typographic/Computer Puns

Name	Rendering	URL	Comments/Votes
DotDotSlash	../		As in "cd ../" ... also implies going back or up a level
HashBash	#!(/bin/bash)
HashBang	#!	URL taken (parked domain)	Possible confusion with Crunchbang Linux? Githaron vote.
HashDot	#.
HashSlash	#/		about "slash"; or tagged "slash"
DotDot	..
NotDot	!.
BangDot	!.
BackDot	\.
BangSlashDot	!/.	Available to us (registered by Slashdot user somenickname (184564)).
TildeDot	~.
BangPipe
SlashStar	/*		Used in C to comment code, in recognition that the focus is on comments
StarSlash	*/	starslash.org (Domain is available.)	Looks like the /. logo rotated 180 degrees. danbert8 vote.
SlashSlash	//		Reference to source-code comments (in recognition that the focus is on comments).
ShebangShebang	#!#!
CaretSlashSlashSlashDot	^\/\.
CaretDot	^.
SlashHash	/#
PlusDot	+.
SlashPlusPlus	/++		"increment"/improvement on the original. Nightbrood vote.
BinBash	/bin/bash
SlashUsr	/usr
SlashHome	/home
SlashVarLog	/var/log
divergence	∇·		The name represents how we're going in a new direction. Also, the symbol could be the mathematical divergence operator: a 'nabla' followed by a dot, which looks like an 'augmented' version of a slash followed by a dot. kebes vote. keick vote. Qwade vote. Nightbrood vote.
HashTech	#tech		Has dual IRC and hastag meanings.
AtNot	@!	Domain available.	Short
CtrlL			For "Clear Screen" in a terminal window.
CtrlZ	^Z	.com/.org/.net taken but .at isn't	Keyboard code for "Undo". rbroderi vote short easy to say and memorable
SlashDotDot	/..		to indicate we're backing up a level...
SlashHash	/#		Captures hash tags, anchor tags, and is sometimes used to represent forks.

Intentionally Confusing

"Slashdot" was originally intended to be confusing for neophytes (e.g. reading the web address on the radio sounds comical: h-t-t-p-colon-slash-slash-slash-dot-dot-org-slash). Many of the typographical/computer puns qualify as intentionally confusing. Some other options in that spirit:

Name	Rendering	URL	Comments/Votes
PlayAppStore
url		url.com
hostname		hostname.com	Comments for nerds, stuff that matters.

Memes

Name	Rendering	URL	Comments/Votes
Chips and Dip		chipsndips.org has been registered by one of us.	Trademark issues? (original name of Slashdot, perhaps owned by CmdrTaco?)
CowboyNeal			Trademark issues?
Cyborg Bill		.net, .org available	Was this the right term?
Natalie Portman			Trademark issues?
FrostPist		.com, .net, .org available	El Oscuro Nice /. theme!
FrostyHotGrits		.com, .net, ,org available :-)	Sir Garlon's vote. Iskender (1040286) vote.
HotGrits		.org available	El Oscuro Nice /. theme!
LaserSharks		.net, .org available	El Oscuro Nice /. theme!
ConfirmedDead		.com, .net (preferable for the joke), .org	UntypedLambdaCalculus's vote. A reference to the "Netcraft confirms" meme.

Other

Name	Rendering	URL	Comments/Votes
NetNews
NerdsOnTheNet
NerdNews
StuffAndThings