Ask HN: Fun side project - what should I name it?
What should I name a service that archives weekly screenshots of startup homepages?
I've always wanted to study the process of how startups that launch with simple products iterate towards success. I'm sure others share my curiosity.
This is what my app would do: 1. Maintain a list of promising startups. 2. Take weekly screenshots of homepages for these startups. 3. Allow people to browse a gallery of screenshots for each startup that my service tracks.
This service shouldn't be too hard to code up. I've coded up similar services in the past. Nonetheless, I hate starting projects without first naming them.
So, wise readers of Hacker News, what do you think I should name my web app?
Thanks in advance.
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You should take a look at Perpetually. They presented at TechCrunch 50 in 2009 and have some great technology designed to do something similar to what you've been thinking about, though their focus is enterprise customers, not startups. Worth a look, and their solution may give you some ideas for your own.
http://www.perpetually.com/
applapse.com sounds nice to me. It could connote a time lapse recording of an application and isn't registered. I like it.
iterup.com just came to me, is short, easish to say/spell and doesn't resolve.
iterrate.com - with this name, people could rate the designs as they change. Spelling is a bit off, but it's only a fun techie project so it perhaps matters less.
Archive.org already does that for you.
I also had a similar idea of tracking a startup through history (showing everything from historical alexa traffic to google news to tweets to screenshots to blog-mentions). Screenshots alone won't give a lot of information but if you add meta-information to it, you will be able to see the startup's evolution.
Iteration Underway (iterationunderway.net is available)
I like the idea a lot. It would be interesting to see how startup homepages evolve over time. It would also be interesting, where possible, to see other pages. For web applications: screen shots of the application, for non-web based start ups: about page, faq, etc.
hometime would be a great name - but the com is already gone
you could go for an evolution like theme - originofapps
or maybe something like recap(p)
How about homepagehotness.com?
Even though it's a bit long, the name makes me smile, and it seems like it may be memorable.