Revisiting MacCrowd

ScottW

ScottW

Founder
Staff member
I have recently begin revisiting the name change again. Only, not the point of completely removing the name.

Assuming we successfully launch a front page with more than just a messageboard, with columns, reviews and howto articles... we have the potential to take a giant step forward.

We can stick with the name macosx.com, I have no problems with that, but I look at it from a marketing/branding perspective.

1) Their are tons of osx.com sites online. Although macosx.com is the perfect domain for a osx.com website it limits our ability to build name recognition on our own. Using MacFora as an example... you don't confuse MacFora with anything other Mac site on the net. You may not know what the heck a "Fora" is, but none-the-less builds branding.

MACOSX.COM coatails off of Apple obviously. Our "success" has not done with our ability to get the word out, but our ability to ride in behind Apple.

Choosing something like MacCrowd would allow us to build our own identity in the world (while still using the macosx.com domain as the coat-tail effect which is not a bad thing).

2) FUTURE

I have no clue if the future Mac OS will be called, Mac OS X. It might be Mac OS XI, or it could be Mac OS X 2.0. WHO KNOWS? I don't.

If Apple does change the operating system name, we will slowly loose the coatail effect.. and will be forced into a name change at that time, otherwise we could be "Windows95.com" and just a distant memory.

--

I don't know what the answer is. I am not even sure that moving to a new name at this time is the answer or not.

MacCrowd has personality, and is by it's name a community site. It also doesn't limit our outreach as a name like macosx.com does.

So in essence, maccrowd.com and macosx.com would share the same site. macosx.com would not be spinned off into something else, but would be a marriage w/ maccrowd. Whether it redirects to maccrowd.com seamlessly or maintains its name in the url, is really up for debate, if the decision is made to make the jump.

Overall, I know the decision rests on my shoulders... but I am looking for open discussion if any of you two have any thoughts.

Scott
 
Ed, I see you browsing this forum, so you are probably replying or reading... but I have some follow-up ideas...

1) the primary url of macosx.com redirects to this new MacCrowd website, community site for Mac Users. The vision of this site will be more of a MUG than anything.

2) On this site, well integrated and on the main page will be the macosx.com forums, and they will retain their current name of macosx.com. Both the beige theme and a new 'MacCrowd' theme would be available for users to choose.

After a week or so and things settle down... we allow the community of contributors, both those who donated and are mods... to vote on if to either:

a) Continue with the current setup (after the changes) as described above...

or

b) Completely integrate into MacCrowd.

I would be completely cool with either outcome, and it allows the community to decide what they want to do.

This way... if you bookmark http://www.macosx.com/forums you will get the forums, just as they are today, no changes. Still macosx.com, bla bla bla.

If you go to macosx.com/ you will get the main MacCrowd page, but current discussions, etc, will show up on that main page.. with links back to macosx.com forums.

I don't want people to choose before they see the new site.

Scott
 
well, actually i was dealing with a crash while carbon copy cloner was finishing up that left os x completely frozen and only 43 mb out of about 20 gb transferred still on the target disk. ouch. then i took a nap. :D

i'm also not quite sure what to say here as you sound determined to do this. i'm pretty sure you could already guess that i wouldn't like the idea. you would be guessing right. but i can name a few more reasons than just my own mistaste for overlapping names for the same thing.

one - there is something unique about the personality of macosx.com. i believe there are reasons beyond just time of being around that are why it is so much stronger than macfora. the name itself is a sense of identity with the present and future of the mac os. it isn't just about being a mac user, it's about being a cutting edge mac user. about dealing with the most complex os apple has ever offered. people here aren't 'mac users', they're os x users. and frankly, i guess we've got at least 4-5 more years of this name at least. apple seems very deliberate in going thru the 'points' in an organized fashion.

now maccrowd seems more like what macfora is. just a bunch of macusers who get together to talk about whatever. obviously i enjoy both sites for what they are, but they're very different. now that doesn't mean that i don't think a 'sister site' by the name of maccrowd wouldn't fit nicely. two sites linked to each other, intertwined in membership, but each with a different focus. perhaps both domains could resolve to the same front page and then people could choose which site to visit. you're a member of one, you're a member of the other. this way you build one upon the other and not try to have the same content with an identity crisis. i never liked the press3 concept - some members spoke in threads of being on press3 and others as being on macosx.com. it was very confusing even when you knew what was going on. i like the idea of growing, i don't like the idea of confusion and dual identity.

two - given past events that split press3 from macosx, and recent events that split some members from their participation here, i think it comes off looking like a PR move at best to try and 'rename' the site right now. at worst it looks like an attempt to hide from the criticisms of those who protested. either way it seems to say that we want to distance ourselves from macosx.com because of what people might think of it. i think instead we should maintain the strength of identification with the site that current regulars have. they've shown that they are stronger than our critics and more important to its continued existence. i'm sure i could express this better, but i also think you get the jest of what i'm saying here. i'm sure this thought has gone thru your head as well in considering this.

three - actually a continuation of thought on one - a forum so big it needs 2 main forums pages - each with their own focus and identity. now that's a concept. and one that could eventually lead to a real content section, a shareware site as i've suggested, etc.. i guess at that point in the evolution an encompassing banner like maccrowd starts to make sense as long as the parts can hold their own identity as well. i certainly thin the business model of linking all your sites together is a good one. and creating a network of sites that feed it as well - like reciprocal linking with some of our members sites. i sometimes get into pagan networks that no matter how far i seem to wonder, i'm never far from where i started. and i don't think this was a well thought out plan, but more the result of active networking byt those who have similar interests. mac users are still a relatively small community and this same sort of 'unity' shouldn't be that far fetched.

that's enough for one post. i'll reread yours and mine and add more later if i feel i need to. :)
 
oh, i appreciate your including the site supporters in the decision. while you paid all the bills, you could really say it's yours and to hell with what anybody says. now that you've been getting money from loyal members, in a sense they should have some say about the site. much as strong contributors to politicians expect their voices to be heard a little more clearly. and like a politician, you will never be able to please everyone who helps you, but at least listening and acting upon reasonable things will be important to their continued support in the future. so yea, i'm saying that if site contributors want it a certain way on something like this, then i can easily dismiss my own feelings and preferences in favor of theirs.
 
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