4 ms·

Ask HN: What is the reason that many startups end their company name in "ly"?

5 points by rexreed 15y ago

Just trying to understand if there's some good thinking behind this or if it's just a fad whose time will come and go and date a company.

shahedkhan30 15y ago
Well from where I see it, I believe it's because a lot of .com, .net, .org domains are taken. For example, if your startups name was Twitterly, you would choose Twitterly.com, but obviously it would be taken, so they chose to use Twitter.ly That's what I believe.
mikemaccana 15y ago
- 'ly' is used in English as part of many adjectives. - There's a CCTLD for Libya called 'ly' with domains available.
- rexreed 15y ago
  But most of the company names are not using 'ly' in the adjective / adverb form? I don't get it. Why not use any other modifier ending, like 'ing' or 'ish' or 'vore' like: Chargish Bitvore Spoting If it's the availability of domains and the CCTLD, why Libya? Wouldn't Liechtenstein be better? It ends in 'li'. Or even better, Switzerland, since you can make so many more words that end in 'ch'? eatmu.ch cin.ch Puzzled. Seems so random to me.
  - mikemaccana 15y ago
    - Why not use any other modifier ending, like 'ing' or 'ish' or 'vore' like: See point #2 - I bet if .ish was a CCTLD they'd do exactly this. - Libya? Wouldn't Liechtenstein be better? It ends in 'li'. See point #1. :^) Pardon if it wasn't obvious but both these facts combined for handy 'sniglet' (fake but realistic English word) domain names.
    - rexreed 15y ago
      How about .ch -- doesn't it address points #1 and #2? Anyways, you did a good job answering my question. I guess it's really just the intersection space in the Venn diagram where set #1 is A Good/Memorable Company Name and set #2 is An Available Domain Name. I guess Libya was fortuitous in that way. I think Switzerland might make a better choice, but that's me.
Aqua_Geek 15y ago
I think it's a little of both - driven by a lack of available good .com/net/org domains and by the increasing popularity of sites like bitly. It's little like how startups are jumping on -ify naming fad.
bartonfink 15y ago
It makes me think of Ned Flanders' "oke-ly doke-ly." I don't see it as particularly clever, but then again de gustibus non est disputandum.
KnightWhoSaysNi 15y ago
It's a fad, nothing more than that.
WilliamChanner 15y ago
Just a trend.
them0rtn 15y ago
jeah its just a name affix
donnaware 15y ago
why not just tack "-olovich" on the end of everything, that's what we did when we were 10yrs old.

5 points by rexreed 15y ago

Just trying to understand if there's some good thinking behind this or if it's just a fad whose time will come and go and date a company.

shahedkhan30 15y ago

Well from where I see it, I believe it's because a lot of .com, .net, .org domains are taken. For example, if your startups name was Twitterly, you would choose Twitterly.com, but obviously it would be taken, so they chose to use Twitter.ly That's what I believe.

mikemaccana 15y ago

- 'ly' is used in English as part of many adjectives. - There's a CCTLD for Libya called 'ly' with domains available.

rexreed 15y ago
But most of the company names are not using 'ly' in the adjective / adverb form? I don't get it. Why not use any other modifier ending, like 'ing' or 'ish' or 'vore' like: Chargish Bitvore Spoting If it's the availability of domains and the CCTLD, why Libya? Wouldn't Liechtenstein be better? It ends in 'li'. Or even better, Switzerland, since you can make so many more words that end in 'ch'? eatmu.ch cin.ch Puzzled. Seems so random to me.
- mikemaccana 15y ago
  - Why not use any other modifier ending, like 'ing' or 'ish' or 'vore' like: See point #2 - I bet if .ish was a CCTLD they'd do exactly this. - Libya? Wouldn't Liechtenstein be better? It ends in 'li'. See point #1. :^) Pardon if it wasn't obvious but both these facts combined for handy 'sniglet' (fake but realistic English word) domain names.
  - rexreed 15y ago
    How about .ch -- doesn't it address points #1 and #2? Anyways, you did a good job answering my question. I guess it's really just the intersection space in the Venn diagram where set #1 is A Good/Memorable Company Name and set #2 is An Available Domain Name. I guess Libya was fortuitous in that way. I think Switzerland might make a better choice, but that's me.

Aqua_Geek 15y ago

I think it's a little of both - driven by a lack of available good .com/net/org domains and by the increasing popularity of sites like bitly. It's little like how startups are jumping on -ify naming fad.

bartonfink 15y ago

It makes me think of Ned Flanders' "oke-ly doke-ly." I don't see it as particularly clever, but then again de gustibus non est disputandum.

KnightWhoSaysNi 15y ago

It's a fad, nothing more than that.

WilliamChanner 15y ago

Just a trend.

them0rtn 15y ago

jeah its just a name affix

donnaware 15y ago

why not just tack "-olovich" on the end of everything, that's what we did when we were 10yrs old.