![]() ![]() The site allows community members to submit links to online content, which is then voted up or down to decide which submissions are most worthy of being read by everyone else. One of the fastest-growing websites around, Reddit was started in 2004 by then-college students Steve Huffman and Alexis Ohanian. You hear a "Bing," which is what Microsoft hopes will happen when you use their website. The name also reminded people of the moment an idea is hatched, sort of like when that little light bulb goes off over a cartoon character's head. So the marketers decided to put their money on " Bing." Not only was it a single syllable, easy to spell, and easy to remember, it also sounded like "Bingo," which is usually said when you've found what you're looking for. ("What other movies has Kathy Bates been in?" "I don't know. Of course once they got into the naming process, there were other things to consider as well.įor example, one idea - "Bang" - was rejected because you couldn't make a verb out of it without sounding, well, inappropriate. When Microsoft was developing the name for their new search engine, they wanted something that was a single syllable, memorable, and easy to spell. Mental Floss: How to tweet your way out of a job So Omidyar shortened the name to "ebay" and bought the web address that we all know and love. However, echobay was already taken (and still is). While contemplating names for the site, he initially planned to use the name of his computer consulting company, Echo Bay. Thinking he might be on to something, Omidyar started working in earnest on the program. Omidyar only intended the laser pointer listing to be a test, but was surprised to find that someone actually bought it - according to reports, the buyer collected broken laser pointers. What's not legend, though, is that the first item sold on eBay was anything but glamorous - a broken laser pointer. While the PEZ part isn't true - Omidyar was simply looking for a way to make something cool online - it does make for a good story. It means 'oh, yes.' And in Latin, it means 'and if.'"įor a while, it was widely believed that, in 1995, then-28-year old software developer Pierre Omidyar created a website called AuctionWeb so his fiancée could buy and sell PEZ dispensers. I was watching Fellini's 8 ½and writing down what I was hearing. However, in a January 2010 interview for Reader's Digest, founder Rob Kalin finally revealed the secret: "I wanted a nonsense word because I wanted to build the brand from scratch. And while the name is catchy, many have often asked what it means.įor a while, the company was pretty tight-lipped about the origin, leaving users to come up with their own acronyms or explanations. Mental Floss: Low-tech crooks thwarted by high-tech gadgetsįounded in 2005, the online marketplace Etsy has amassed over seven million registered users and saw revenues of just over $300 million in 2010. In hindsight, it worked out for the best - saying you're "Skypering" with your friend sounds a bit clumsy. So, they decided to try dropping the "r" and, sure enough, was available. So when they were developing the name, they hit upon the rather descriptive "Sky peer-to-peer," which was shortened to "Skyper." However, when they went to register the web address for their new product, and the other. Of course to the average person, the connection is happening in a mysterious, ethereal realm. Skype is a peer-to-peer communication technology, meaning one person connects to another person, via the Skype service. But what does the name Skype have to do with talking to other people online? Then, a company with a strange name harnessed the power of the internet and the ever-growing ubiquity of webcams to bring that dream to the masses. While there have been a handful of real video phones, they were never widely available for the average Joe. The idea of a video phone has been around for decades. ![]()
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