5 ms·

Tbh, I don't see any problems with the name? I like it.

bartread 6y ago
Try googling "element", and then try googling "whatsapp". See the difference? I get frustrated when brands, products, and even more so OSS software projects, choose names that have too many other meanings/brands associated with them because it can make it unnecessarily difficult to find relevant information using current search engine technology[0]. I've had situations where I've been clicking through pages and pages of results to find something relevant to what I'm looking for, even with more qualified searches. You can critique WhatsApp for any number of reasons, if you're so inclined, but it's hard to argue that they didn't pick a good name. It's eminently searchable and doesn't spam results pages for unrelated/tangentially related topics. [0] I find names like "Signal" irritating for the opposite reason. You're searching for information about the other meanings and yet much of what you get is brand "spam" results related to the messaging system. Great if that's what you're searching for, not if it isn't.
- IshKebab 6y ago
  > See the difference? Well obviously it doesn't come up because they only just changed the name! In general Google is pretty good at returning the correct result for ambiguous searches. E.g. try searching for "Signal". Every result is about the signal app for me.
  - bartread 6y ago
    > Every result is about the signal app for me. Yeeeees. See my comment at the bottom of my original post. That's great if you're searching for the signal app, but rather annoying if you're not.
  - squarefoot 6y ago
    Google is generally good at returning correct results because they analyzed all users habits and can infer what one is looking for; it's up to the user to choose if it's worth the price to pay wrt privacy. As for Signal, it's pretty normal for search engines, whether they spy on users or not, to return the app, since in their algorithms an explicit name (Signal) always wins over a generic name (a signal), which imo is how a search engine should work. In due time, most searches for Element will eventually return the chat app. I'm not sure I will like the name by then though.
- Macha 6y ago
  But the difference between Signal returning results for the messaging client and Element not returning results is just one of popularity and the fact that Element as a name is brand new. When signal was a nerdy thing used by few people it was not coming up highly in results either. Arguably Riot has more users than Signal did when it was called TextSecure, so Element is better placed to pick up as a name than Signal was. Obviously Whatsapp had the advantage that its only competition in search results were typos and people mispelling whats up for comedic effect.
- untog 6y ago
  Try Googling Windows, Android, React, Java, Python, Ruby, Assembly, C(!)... it seems like things have worked out OK for all of them. IMO worries like this are overblown.
badrabbit 6y ago
May I ask if you are a native english user and what country? Perhaps the branding works for EU markets? Element has nothing to do with messaging. In my example,signal has something to do with communication(signaling),telegram is obvious, whatsapp is what you say when you talk to someone like 'hello'(what is up?). Element sounds like something I hear about in a chemistry class. It also has to be catchy. At least Riot was catchy even if it made no sense. A brand name is not a mission stateme t, it's marketing material, full stop.
- TomMarius 6y ago
  Most EU languages have the word element too, with the chemistry/physics meaning.
- jelv 6y ago
  You can also use https://dittochat.org https://dittochat.org or https://fluffychat.im https://fluffychat.im
- gregoriol 6y ago
  Does "whatsapp" sound like messaging? or "Skype"? or "Slack"? or "IRC"?
  - neutronicus 6y ago
    WhatsApp sounds like "what's up" - it definitely suggests conversation The other two are meaningless, but at least monosyllabic - "I'll Skype you," "I'll Slack you," "I'll ... Element you?"
    - Multicomp 6y ago
      I plan to use a phrase like 'lets connect on Element'. Element is a much better name than Riot. Lot less of a hard sell to convert normies.
      - neutronicus 6y ago
unixhero 6y ago
I like it. +1 Riot has a political connotation. It's good not to have to try and sell to other people that you're on "riot".
tomp 6y ago
If I randomly see the URL "element.io" I'd think it's like a Bootstrap alternative or something.

Try googling "element", and then try googling "whatsapp". See the difference? I get frustrated when brands, products, and even more so OSS software projects, choose names that have too many other meanings/brands associated with them because it can make it unnecessarily difficult to find relevant information using current search engine technology[0]. I've had situations where I've been clicking through pages and pages of results to find something relevant to what I'm looking for, even with more qualified searches. You can critique WhatsApp for any number of reasons, if you're so inclined, but it's hard to argue that they didn't pick a good name. It's eminently searchable and doesn't spam results pages for unrelated/tangentially related topics. [0] I find names like "Signal" irritating for the opposite reason. You're searching for information about the other meanings and yet much of what you get is brand "spam" results related to the messaging system. Great if that's what you're searching for, not if it isn't.

IshKebab 6y ago
> See the difference? Well obviously it doesn't come up because they only just changed the name! In general Google is pretty good at returning the correct result for ambiguous searches. E.g. try searching for "Signal". Every result is about the signal app for me.
- bartread 6y ago
  > Every result is about the signal app for me. Yeeeees. See my comment at the bottom of my original post. That's great if you're searching for the signal app, but rather annoying if you're not.
- squarefoot 6y ago
  Google is generally good at returning correct results because they analyzed all users habits and can infer what one is looking for; it's up to the user to choose if it's worth the price to pay wrt privacy. As for Signal, it's pretty normal for search engines, whether they spy on users or not, to return the app, since in their algorithms an explicit name (Signal) always wins over a generic name (a signal), which imo is how a search engine should work. In due time, most searches for Element will eventually return the chat app. I'm not sure I will like the name by then though.
Macha 6y ago
But the difference between Signal returning results for the messaging client and Element not returning results is just one of popularity and the fact that Element as a name is brand new. When signal was a nerdy thing used by few people it was not coming up highly in results either. Arguably Riot has more users than Signal did when it was called TextSecure, so Element is better placed to pick up as a name than Signal was. Obviously Whatsapp had the advantage that its only competition in search results were typos and people mispelling whats up for comedic effect.
untog 6y ago
Try Googling Windows, Android, React, Java, Python, Ruby, Assembly, C(!)... it seems like things have worked out OK for all of them. IMO worries like this are overblown.

badrabbit 6y ago

May I ask if you are a native english user and what country? Perhaps the branding works for EU markets? Element has nothing to do with messaging. In my example,signal has something to do with communication(signaling),telegram is obvious, whatsapp is what you say when you talk to someone like 'hello'(what is up?). Element sounds like something I hear about in a chemistry class. It also has to be catchy. At least Riot was catchy even if it made no sense. A brand name is not a mission stateme t, it's marketing material, full stop.

TomMarius 6y ago
Most EU languages have the word element too, with the chemistry/physics meaning.
jelv 6y ago
You can also use https://dittochat.org https://dittochat.org or https://fluffychat.im https://fluffychat.im
gregoriol 6y ago
Does "whatsapp" sound like messaging? or "Skype"? or "Slack"? or "IRC"?
- neutronicus 6y ago
  WhatsApp sounds like "what's up" - it definitely suggests conversation The other two are meaningless, but at least monosyllabic - "I'll Skype you," "I'll Slack you," "I'll ... Element you?"
  - Multicomp 6y ago
    I plan to use a phrase like 'lets connect on Element'. Element is a much better name than Riot. Lot less of a hard sell to convert normies.
    - neutronicus 6y ago

unixhero 6y ago

I like it. +1 Riot has a political connotation. It's good not to have to try and sell to other people that you're on "riot".

tomp 6y ago

If I randomly see the URL "element.io" I'd think it's like a Bootstrap alternative or something.