I Failed To Google

So, I'm sitting at dinner with my family for my father's birthday and I finally let slip one of my new project ideas.  It is possibly more involved, accessible and promising than the show, the newsletter and even the other web site.  After fielding a few questions, the ideas are running around my head and getting me edgy.  Later that night, I am sitting at the computer running through domain name ideas with the wife.  With her help, I commit to a domain and am excited about the next few steps.  Work on a logo begins and a few other format evaluations take place.

We have dinner a few days later with my sister-in-law, brother-in-law and a friend.  My brother-in-law Greg mentions that he looked for the website (which I'd mentioned the name to previously) and found another site.  I asked about the spelling and any other variations which led us to a domain with the exact name but with "the" in front.  It had been around awhile, done some video work and would have been a costly future trademark affair if I'd launched the site and gotten further in the project.  Almost as embarrassing as scoring a big hit and having a watch manufacturer sue you over using their name in your band until being redeemed later by scoring a hit (albeit a remake) under your new name.

So, I'm out... about $40 but can redirect traffic from that page to the new site when we launch.  So, on top of trying to find an original domain name, selecting one that doesn't include too many numbers (as you have explain the numbers when saying it so they don't type out the words) and trying to express what it's about in a short name, you need to search Google for your name.  It may be available because someone is already using something close.  It's something I knew already but was too antsy and eager to put my foot on the path to execute.

Expect to hear something about the project here by July.