Poll for the "Goodwill of Domains" / Digital Empowerment Brand

[Rob Monster]

There has recently been some extensive discussion about a Domain Microfinance program. Related to this, there has been an invitation to submit brand names for a charitable entity that I have referred to as the "Goodwill of Domains" where domains, as well as potentially other digital assets, are collected, distributed, and liquidated in order to increase Digital Empowerment around the world.

The original domain search was described here. The thesis is that the democratization of digital technology for propagation of knowledge and cross-cultural engagement can finally unleash the potential to lift up many whose lives have yet to benefit meaningfully from the digital age. The brand we are describing here is about more than domain names. It is about using viable technology to empower content, community and commerce.

Examples of what I mean by Digital Empowerment:

- A self-funding framework for identity and payment that makes it easier and safer to transact with strangers.

- A stand-alone WiFi router and server for under $200 that serves as ISP in a box for an entire community.

- A solar array that costs between $50 and $100 and capable of powering a stand-alone WiFi router and server.

Also, by way of organization update, @Abdullah Abdullah, formerly a NamePros moderator based in Yemen, and recently added to the Epik team will play a leadership role in identifying and screening Digital Empowerment strategies that could benefit from cross-border interoperability and scale economies. This organization may be formed as a non-profit which is why most of the names under consideration are .ORG

In the meantime, specific to the brand name, we have some finalists and would appreciate some input on domain selection. A non-profit entity is expected to be established once the entity has a name. The working name, coined by @Blitzpotz, is DevAid. That one is not bad, but the domain was taken, and I think we can do better anyway.

This thread is also fair game for sharing your best ideas for Digital Empowerment technologies that are mature, or approaching maturity that cost little but have high impact once deployed. The 3 examples cited above are real and are illustrative of the direction I see this going. And of course empowered people will want great domains to power their own ventures!

Thanks in advance for your input on the name selection, and thanks for your input to make the pie bigger!

 

[Rob Monster]

I am pleased to report, we have our winner:

eRise.org

The winner was @Sumeeth - who is a prolific name-spinner and hit a jackpot.

There were several strong alternatives from this set, as well as from the subsequent comments. However, when engaging folks in one-on-one interviews about possible names for a "Digital Empowerment" brand, the one that got people excited was eRise.org.

We are working on the formation of a non-profit entity, which I believe will be a Swiss Foundation. The non-profit status will also make it easier to partner with charities and philanthropies.

The working tagline for eRise.org is:

"Innovative Partnerships for Digital Empowerment”

An example of such a project is the prospective deployment of "Toki servers" in communities with little or no internet connectivity. It is essentially free WiFi made possible by some really clever low-cost technology.

The founding Director for eRise.Org is @Abdullah Abdullah, who has proven to be a talented researcher, a natural diplomat, and also shares my enthusiasm for projects that lift people up.

@Ala Dadan will share some logo candidates for eRise.org soon.

Thanks to everyone for co-creating. We really appreciate it!

Regards,
Rob

Rob Monster
Founder and CEO
Epik Holdings, Inc.

 

[Rob Monster]

Quick update here:

@Abdullah Abdullah is going to be the Director of the non-profit entity. For those who don't know him, he is a Somali based in Yemen. He is an exceptionally good researcher and has done past work with UN agencies. I think this role is perfect for him.

We had a good call this morning, and will be exploring establishment of a non-profit entity, likely domiciled in Switzerland and operating as a think-tank and advocacy group, focused on digital empowerment initiatives that are capital efficient, and which improve access to content, community and commerce.

I am really excited about this project and think we are really close to making a decision about a brand name pending some additional research and negotiation with the registrant. I do appreciate the great input that we have gotten from this thread and look forward to sharing details in the coming days.

The poll ends in 4 days.

 

[farouk20]

After reading through your submission, i voted for reliable.org. The name covers all the bases with regards to your above listed requirements. Other strengths of Reliable.org includes but not limited to

• Memorability
• Short,precise & straight to the point
• Passes radio test
• .Org

It’s truely the clear winner here

 

[bmugford]

I don't really like any of the options personally.

Brad

 

[Ategy]

The submissions were not great on this one -- probably not a category of domains where most domain investors have been making speculative buys in recent years.

Doesn't help that the description of the final "product" was in constant flux .. lol .. (and still doesn't seem to be final given the large number of variables still unknown from political to tax to legal obligations/possibilities)

I submitted GiveADot (dot) com which was a great submission when the description was that the name would be used just for the part of the project that just collects donated domains, and that the domains would likely be given to students/awardees of the grant / microloan program running in parallel.

If I had known the name was to encompass a massive global scale world changing plan, I would have spent my time looking for a completely different domain .. lol .. as even I'll agree that my submission was mainly good for the originally intended scope.


As for the names .. I wish you had posted this in one of the non-indexed forums so that we could truly give objective feedback both good and bad (the way it should be), but given the public nature of this thread, I think it's best I refrain from comments on the specific names as I don't want to say anything bad about anyone's domains that could later be found by potential end users via Google! There are a couple decent ones though .. but in the end I think most fall short simply because of the changing and growing scope of the vision for this project.

 

[Rob Monster]

Some great names on the list - reliable and websites in .org, wow!

We actually acquired Websites.org for $10K last month. I think we'll use that name for a different project. I am currently talking to the owner of Archive.org. Imagine if any website you want could be locally cached without adware, malware, tracking code, and with lightweight images so that the content can be easily consumed in parts of the world with low bandwidth. By leveraging decentralized content delivery, sites that load slowly in some parts of the world, would load very quickly, consuming far less power or bandwidth.

 

[briguy]

I voted for erise..short and easy to remember.

 

[Ategy]

Thanks @Ategy.com - by all means, don't hold back, or of course contact me privately if that seems better. As for project scope, our mandate is to make the pie bigger.

As we study the emerging market expansion opportunity it becomes apparent that one of the main challenges is the high cost of internet access.

As I tend to do, we'll run controlled experiments and scale what works. The brand name needs to have broad enough shoulders to cover the gamut of what we intend to do around digital empowerment.

Yeah .. I'm not at all saying that not considering my choice was the wrong decision .. I'm just saying that it was a good submission for the original plan .. and if I had known the scope of the project were what it was today, I wouldn't have even submitted it, and I would have focused my efforts on finding a different domain (or just not submitted anything).

As for the "don't hold back" .. unfortunately as I mentioned at the end of the discussion for the previous vote, I won't debate or discuss particularly the cons of the submission in a part of the forum that is indexed by Google (and it's truly useless and even misleading to discuss just the pros without the cons). That being said though, given the rather large voting problems that arose out of the last one, an open pros/cons debate would be far better at finding the best candidate than a simple vote. You really should consider using the insider's lounge next time (it's sheltered from search spiders), that way people can speak their mind without hurting the potential value of other people's domains.

As we get closer to the end and you continue to discuss and clarify exactly everything that the project will encompass, I'll most definitely gladly give my feedback in private if you'd like. Just because I'm a little sceptical as to the feasibility of something so grand in scale does not mean I don't want it to succeed .. it's just the opposite in that I think if it was kept smaller and more realistic in scale it would have a better chance of crossing the finish line. That being said .. I obviously don't know the amount of resources you're willing to put into it .. because originally there was talk of this being self-fulfilling .. but obviously that's no longer the case, as given the scale, clearly it won't be for quite some time.

Again .. I think you just took some of us by surprise in wanting to be a second internet.org! A fantastic goal .. but it's no small feet .. and more than money, you'll need lots of legal and political help before even starting. Might be a good idea to explore those paths a bit more as in the end some of the things you discover on the legal (and tax) and political fronts could indeed significantly change the scope of this project yet again (thus possibly making any current name inappropriate or irrelevant once again .. lol)

 

[PriyankaS]

For me clearly reliable.org is the winner. strong dictionary keyword in .org suggesting good, trustworthy and dependability which connects well with empowerment or entrustment.

I am surprised erise.org getting votes. Though short but It doesnt even sound english and professional. Maybe i am missing something anyway not a fan of E names that too in org. Btw Egoodness.org or Eempower.org like names are available.

Besides reliable i like DigitalProsperity.org but its bit long.
Seeing digitalchampion wanted to mention digitalChamp.org also available.

 

[Dave]

Reliable.org is the best one out of this bunch

 

[Arfy]

For the first time in participating in these polls, I don't like any of these suggestions. Just being honest as only honest criticism will help you choose a good name.

I submitted these:

DonateDigital.org
KindWeb.org
Peculium.com

​

My feedback on the ones in the poll:

1. UpRaiser.org - not too bad but it doesn't sound good when said.
2. Enricher.org - sounds more like a nutrient or data enrichment name.
3. Overpower.org - sounds negative.
4. Benefiter.org - sounds inheritance / death related
5. Reliable.org - no connection at all to the offering.
6. Plentiful.org - ditto above
7. Endowing .org - too obscure but not too bad.
8. Valueful.org -
9. Websites.org - would be great name if you were creating websites
10. DestinedToRise.org - too long and 3 words
11. DestinedToBe.org- too long and 3 words
12. DigitalAssist.org - not bad but not catchy
13. DigitalProsperity.org - sounds like a charity but too long - 7 syllables!
14. eRise.org - probably the best one if I really had to choose
15. Digitaler.org - bad
16. Digitalchampion.org - This is second best
17. GoodWork.org - too obscure

 

[branding]

Great hack on erise, hence it got my vote. Some others are absolutely fine but either too descriptive or not the best fit imo. Interesting project. Following.

 

[oldtimer]

Hence the need for proactive solutions for local resiliency while also providing more ways for local communities to earn foreign exchange without heavy up front investment. And yes, the time might be short.

And since having reliable Internet access is a means to Digital Empowerment and Empowerment results in Prosperity then my top choice would be:

DigitalProsperity.org

 

[Leopard]

First, kudos to the cool initiative.

Looks like the scope of the project can expand far beyond domains, websites, web-tech into high tech and actual life changing solutions.

The source of funds can be digital assets, grants, crowdfunding and collaboration from other ventures.

The end-products can range from payment gateways, hardware, software solutions, internet access, infrastructure, knowledge and skill development , job opportunities.

Of my names, i liked Enricher.org - Its all about Enriching lives with knowledge, resources and opportunities. Enrich also signifies wealth creation for the communities.

Other nice names in the mix DigitalProsperity.org ... Benefiter.org ... Websites.org if focus is on just websites and domains

- Leopard

 

[karmaco]

Think you need to keep looking— JMO.

 

[oldtimer]

As I tend to do, we'll run controlled experiments and scale what works. The brand name needs to have broad enough shoulders to cover the gamut of what we intend to do around digital empowerment.

Rob I believe that you are on the right track, you have to experiment a little to be able to fine tune these projects and some of it is going to evolve and develop on its own as time goes by. The important thing is that you want to help empower others and put them on the road to prosperity, people just have to be a little patient and give you a little time to figure out the best way to implement these projects, people on NamePros are lucky to be able to see first hand how these projects are put together by you, its a good lesson in how to be productive and make a Company grow. People have to realize that you could have done all these in private and then no one here would have had the chance to learn anything from all this. IMO

 

[Sumeeth]

I like & voted for my suggested names eRise.org & DigitalAssist.org , Inaddition to them, i really liked Reliable.org as a domain name but unsure about its fit to the project

reliable

1. consistently good in quality or performance; able to be trusted.

Thanks,
Sumeeth

 

[Blitzpotz]

I voted for eRise because this is the short and catchy name which is able to express the sense of the project in the best way IMO.

I also voted for DigiTaler because it is my submission which shouldn´t pass with zero votes LOL. I originally registered this for cryptocoin speculation and for a nice alternative meaning in German (kinda "more digital"). Here it could be understood as a digital surplus.

Reliable is the best generic term but this shouldn´t be the major criterion in this poll. I personally cannot think the project branded with this name.

 

[Compassion]

May this be old news to many of you, this has been researched plenty of times, here is one example of what Wi-Fi does to life . . .

 

[private123]

For me clearly reliable.org is the winner.

+ one word name.
+ Dictionary word.

I am surprised erise.org getting votes. Though short but It doesnt even sound english and professional. Maybe i am missing something anyway not a fan of E names that too in org. Btw Egoodness.org or Eempower.org like names are available.

erise.org
(-) "e" word killing domain value with org extension.

 

[Rob Monster]

The domain GoodWork.org was added to the poll by super-Moderator @Eric Lyon at my request. It is fine to vote for that domain if you like. I do think we'll have a winner from this group.

 

[bmugford]

I think Reliable.org is easily the best domain on the list, but I am not really sure how well it connects to this project.

Brad

 

[NicTraders]

Didn't love any of the names. Personally I think DigitalAssist.org is the best for the project brief. While names like Reliable and Plentiful are pretty cool one-worders I just don't see how they fit the purpose for this project at all. Just my 2c.

 

[Joshua Harding]

This is an impressive & commendable undertaking. The ability to effectively leverage a unique skill & position that empowers those less fortunate is praiseworthy.

While I'm late with my submission, I believe I have the perfect domain for this endeavour:

Empowers.org

There are no minced meanings, and the intention is clear.

Let me know what you all think.

Example slogans:
Epik Empowers The Individual
Epik Empowers Local Communities
Epik Empowers You To Do More

@Rob Monster