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July 30, 2010 6:19 AM Subscribe
Help me rename my podcast.
I’ve been producing a podcast for almost a year now, but I’m not in love with the name I’ve been using. I’m making plans to get a for reals domain and I want to “re-brand” before I move the ‘cast over. Podcast Theme: I cover things that are about the human side of technology and other nerdy things and subcultures. Example episodes: Blip Festival, Come Out and Play Festival, Exploration of DIY communities. Current Name: The Electric Sheep Podcast What I like about the name: alive/emotional thing + nerd/science thing is basically the theme of the show so that’s nice. It’s recognizable, easy to remember. What I hate about this name: There are 2 other podcasts in iTunes with this name and one is about knitting so it’s confusing for people. The reference to the Phillip K. Dick book is nonsensical and a little dated, it has almost no connection to the show. The name sounds weird in the opener. So metafilter can you help me think of a new name? Or convince me to stick with this one?
I’ve been producing a podcast for almost a year now, but I’m not in love with the name I’ve been using. I’m making plans to get a for reals domain and I want to “re-brand” before I move the ‘cast over. Podcast Theme: I cover things that are about the human side of technology and other nerdy things and subcultures. Example episodes: Blip Festival, Come Out and Play Festival, Exploration of DIY communities. Current Name: The Electric Sheep Podcast What I like about the name: alive/emotional thing + nerd/science thing is basically the theme of the show so that’s nice. It’s recognizable, easy to remember. What I hate about this name: There are 2 other podcasts in iTunes with this name and one is about knitting so it’s confusing for people. The reference to the Phillip K. Dick book is nonsensical and a little dated, it has almost no connection to the show. The name sounds weird in the opener. So metafilter can you help me think of a new name? Or convince me to stick with this one?
Human Interference, Human Interface Factor, Human Interface at Work ... List variants / plays on this phrase until you find something you like that isn't taken.
posted by nangar at 6:43 AM on July 30, 2010
posted by nangar at 6:43 AM on July 30, 2010
I like the current name, for what it's worth. It also gives you a herd to talk to. Which is a good punning opportunity for a podcast.
posted by MuffinMan at 6:45 AM on July 30, 2010
posted by MuffinMan at 6:45 AM on July 30, 2010
re "Human Interface Facor" how about Face The Interface?
posted by grizzled at 6:54 AM on July 30, 2010
posted by grizzled at 6:54 AM on July 30, 2010
I've started listening to your podcast. Sounds like a fun time at the Come Out and Play Festival. It's true, when I googled "The Electric Sheep Podcast" it went directly to that knitting site. At first I didn't get the reference for that podcast, but now it's obvious.
Is there a common theme that runs through all your webcasts? I'm not that familiar with podcasts in general, but is it common to mix music with interviews?
For some reason, perhaps just from listening to your latest podcast, I thought about subculture. And then I thought about combining it with an art form. And then I thought of "subsculpture".
posted by indigo4963 at 7:12 AM on July 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
Is there a common theme that runs through all your webcasts? I'm not that familiar with podcasts in general, but is it common to mix music with interviews?
For some reason, perhaps just from listening to your latest podcast, I thought about subculture. And then I thought about combining it with an art form. And then I thought of "subsculpture".
posted by indigo4963 at 7:12 AM on July 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
Eclecticanalia
posted by itstheclamsname at 7:14 AM on July 30, 2010
posted by itstheclamsname at 7:14 AM on July 30, 2010
Considering the fact that your podcast is about humans interfacing with technology, I suggest calling it "The Naked Now" because that is the episode of TNG where Tasha Yar does it with Data.
posted by ND¢ at 7:23 AM on July 30, 2010 [4 favorites]
posted by ND¢ at 7:23 AM on July 30, 2010 [4 favorites]
I initially really liked the name, but then I looked in itunes, and you are correct – your name is identical to the others (and I had no idea unless I clicked on it as to which one was about knitting vs your topics). Plus, I think it would be interesting if you brand something for your unique show, not an association with something else. I do love the sheep though.
Along those lines (and as it sounds like your show incorporates technology, art, people’s “vision of the brain” -- actually the more that I listen to this I can't pick out a common theme):
-Dopaminergic dreamers (dopamine=neurotransmitter associate with novelty/pleasure)
-Synapatic synergists (warning: there is a synaptic branding podcast)
-REM romance
-Dystopian dreamers
-Geeks grok
Also, you could play, using pictures/blog to keep your sheep. Translate “electric sheep” into binary and have the 01110010 etc behind a dreaming sheep. Another week it could be –which one is the dreamer or the one dreamt about (the sheep? Or not?) A twittering sheep
okay just woke up and this may make no sense
posted by Wolfster at 7:24 AM on July 30, 2010
Along those lines (and as it sounds like your show incorporates technology, art, people’s “vision of the brain” -- actually the more that I listen to this I can't pick out a common theme):
-Dopaminergic dreamers (dopamine=neurotransmitter associate with novelty/pleasure)
-Synapatic synergists (warning: there is a synaptic branding podcast)
-REM romance
-Dystopian dreamers
-Geeks grok
Also, you could play, using pictures/blog to keep your sheep. Translate “electric sheep” into binary and have the 01110010 etc behind a dreaming sheep. Another week it could be –which one is the dreamer or the one dreamt about (the sheep? Or not?) A twittering sheep
okay just woke up and this may make no sense
posted by Wolfster at 7:24 AM on July 30, 2010
Well, I thoroughly approve of the PKD reference, and it might pull me in as a listener yet! If you wanted to keep that aspect you could always take the slightly predictable step of changing to "Android Dreams" but then again, people might think you're obsessed with the guy.
posted by greenish at 7:29 AM on July 30, 2010
posted by greenish at 7:29 AM on July 30, 2010
Response by poster: Re: sound sweird in the opener. It just does something about my regional accent and talking too fast thing makes it come out "'lectric ship podcaaast."
So far I'm liking the vaguer responses:
I want something sort of light, abstract, conceptual, and easy to pronounce, that still leaves me room to grow into other areas should that happen in a year or two.
Yeah, the theme is kind of hard. It's more like investigating nerdy things I find interesting that I might be able to wrap a human element around. And just generally new media stuff that happens around the city. (Two coming up episodes are on DIY culture and a theater festival about video games so again still no common pull.) More like if these things were posts on metafilter I would favorite them. Which doesn't roll trippingly off the tongue. Subsculpture and Greeks Grok, Eclecticanalia are on the right track. I was toying with node or nodes for wahile but that feels too vague?
I could go all fancy latin Electro Ovis.
Mechanical Ear is also sort of cool. Geek and Enjoy. (seek and destroy)
posted by edbles at 7:41 AM on July 30, 2010
So far I'm liking the vaguer responses:
I want something sort of light, abstract, conceptual, and easy to pronounce, that still leaves me room to grow into other areas should that happen in a year or two.
Yeah, the theme is kind of hard. It's more like investigating nerdy things I find interesting that I might be able to wrap a human element around. And just generally new media stuff that happens around the city. (Two coming up episodes are on DIY culture and a theater festival about video games so again still no common pull.) More like if these things were posts on metafilter I would favorite them. Which doesn't roll trippingly off the tongue. Subsculpture and Greeks Grok, Eclecticanalia are on the right track. I was toying with node or nodes for wahile but that feels too vague?
I could go all fancy latin Electro Ovis.
Mechanical Ear is also sort of cool. Geek and Enjoy. (seek and destroy)
posted by edbles at 7:41 AM on July 30, 2010
You like Geeks Grok? It sounds like a spoonerism. Geeks grok while greeks gawk.
posted by grizzled at 7:57 AM on July 30, 2010
posted by grizzled at 7:57 AM on July 30, 2010
It seems like, in as much as there's a unifying theme, it's stuff that's going on sort of in the margins: Marginalia. Notes in the Margins. Peripheral Visions.
"Geek and Enjoy" made me smile.
posted by EvaDestruction at 8:21 AM on July 30, 2010
"Geek and Enjoy" made me smile.
posted by EvaDestruction at 8:21 AM on July 30, 2010
If you like 'geek,' I might suggest some play on its similarity to 'Greek.' E.g., 'Geek to Me.'
posted by shakespeherian at 8:42 AM on July 30, 2010
posted by shakespeherian at 8:42 AM on July 30, 2010
Geek Salad
posted by carmicha at 12:26 PM on July 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by carmicha at 12:26 PM on July 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Ok current ideas:
Eclectic Sheep - may have stretched the reference too thin at this point
Android Dreams - for some reason the word dreams feels weaksauce
Stick with Electric Sheep and just try to own the googles eventually.
posted by edbles at 9:21 AM on July 31, 2010
Eclectic Sheep - may have stretched the reference too thin at this point
Android Dreams - for some reason the word dreams feels weaksauce
Stick with Electric Sheep and just try to own the googles eventually.
posted by edbles at 9:21 AM on July 31, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Jaltcoh at 6:27 AM on July 30, 2010