Scuttlebot is a pun on scuttlebutt, which is the cask used to serve water on a ship, and the protocol was invented by a guy who lives on a boat. Think of it as

Scuttlebot is a pun on scuttlebutt, which is the cask used to serve water on a ship, and the protocol was invented by a guy who lives on a boat. Think of it as “water cooler”: a place where people can meet and smalltalk.