tag:,2008:/1/tag:www.readwriteweb.com,2008://1.6205- 2008-05-14T05:44:33Z Comments for Want That Post to Go Popular? Here's The Best and Worst Times to Post It Movable Type 4.1 tag:www.readwriteweb.com,2008://1.6205 2008-04-30T01:41:45Z 2008-04-30T04:32:29Z Sk*rt is Over, Long Live Sk*rt: Women's Site Holds Vote for New Company Name Sk*rt, the small but quickly growing Digg-style site for women, announced tonight that it's changing its name and is asking its users to vote for what the new site will be called. The much smaller and just-a-touch younger women's magazine Skirt.com has been trying to get its hands on the Sk-rt.com domain name for some... Marshall Kirkpatrick http://www.readwriteweb.com skirtlogo.jpgSk*rt, the small but quickly growing Digg-style site for women, announced tonight that it's changing its name and is asking its users to vote for what the new site will be called. The much smaller and just-a-touch younger women's magazine Skirt.com has been trying to get its hands on the Sk-rt.com domain name for some time and clearly the name is an odd one anyway (I like it, but so goes life). Regardless of why the name is being changed, it's pretty cool that the company is deciding with a vote.

]]> The old name had a subversive thrill to it and was surprisingly easy to remember. The ten choices being offered for a vote, listed below, range from very cool to pretty darned dorky if you ask me. It's very cool that a company with momentum is letting its users vote on its name.

The Tech Angle

Built on the open source social news site software Pligg, Sk*rt has quickly taken a leadership position in the cutting edge market it exists in. Ad and blog network giant Sugar Publishing, for example, has been unable to unseat Sk*rt with its rival site SugarLoving. Sk*rt is gaining increasing Silicon Valley attention of late and could very well become the subject of some business news soon.

The site combines user submissions with voting and a Propeller-like editors' selected stories column. Its vote ranking algorithm is presumably much less developed than Digg's (age of site and Pligg, am I wrong?) but the site does offer some features Digg doesn't, like a handy bookmarklet for submitting stories from off-site.

Community

The most important feature, of course, is the woman-centric community. Digg is de facto male-centric enough to be generally inhospitable and comments on some gender-related stories there are so horrifying that no one could be blamed for never returning to the site again after reading them.

Community-specific news sites for anyone outside of the dominant demographic groups or mainstream interests are likely to see substantial growth as the underlying technology becomes less exotic to non-early adopters.

The List

Enough about the old site, though. Here are the 10 names that users are choosing between for the new Sk*rt. Which one is your favorite? Mine's the sixth on this list. Voting ends Friday night at midnight, presumably PST. You can vote on the company blog.

Name: Jupe Domain Name: jupejupe.com or jupeit.com, we can’t decide.

Name: Lemonade (As in when life hands you lemons…)
Domain Name: Lemona.de (Kinda weird because it doesn’t even need a .com, but that’s also why we like it.)

Name: Kirtsy
Domain Name: kirtsy.com

Name: Phlox
Domain Name: phlox.com

Name: Mesosoup
Domain Name: mesosoup.com

Name: SheSaw
Domain Name: shesaw.com

Name: Fierst
Domain Name: fierst.com

Name: GabOHla
Domain Name: gabohla.com

Name:19rocks (The 19th amendment rocks.) Actually this can be 19 anything. Ideas?
Domain Name: 19rocks.com

Name: HolyMoses
Domain Name: holymos.es

Below: The Technology section of Sk*rt
skirtscreen.jpg
]]> tag:www.readwriteweb.com,2008://1.6205-comment:53465 Comment from Ajay on 2008-04-29 Ajay http://readerszone.com why thise service is only for woman. i think this website is mostly visited by man's :)

]]> 2008-04-30T05:46:20Z tag:www.readwriteweb.com,2008://1.6205-comment:53466 Comment from Laura Mayes on 2008-04-29 Laura Mayes http://www.sk-rt.com Great article. Thanks for writing about this and getting the word out about the contest. We can't wait to share the new name with you and your readers!

Laura

]]> 2008-04-30T06:19:03Z tag:www.readwriteweb.com,2008://1.6205-comment:53480 Comment from Jenny, Bloggess on 2008-04-30 Jenny, Bloggess http://thebloggess.com/ Meh. That's the last effing Skirt! magazine I'll ever pick up.

Long live (whatever the new name for Sk*rt will be)!

]]> 2008-04-30T11:55:01Z tag:www.readwriteweb.com,2008://1.6205-comment:53482 Comment from truth-now on 2008-04-30 truth-now Unfortunately, this article contains information that is just plain WRONG.

(1) SKIRT! magazine has been in existence long before sk-rt.com was even registered.

(2) SKIRT! magazine does not want the domain name sk-rt.com; it does want sk-rt.com to stop infringing upon the registered trademarks SKIRT and SKIRT!.

Get your facts straight.

]]> 2008-04-30T12:28:18Z tag:www.readwriteweb.com,2008://1.6205-comment:53491 Comment from Chris Pratt on 2008-04-30 Chris Pratt http://www.chrisdpratt.com Did anyone bother to check the domains? Most of them are taken (potentially by Sk*rt, but who knows), but a few are available. If Sk*rt isn't the one who has purchased these domains, it's kind of pointless to vote on them. Lemona.de is taken, for example. Potentially, they just purchased their favorites or the ones they thought might get snapped up, but it's really kind of crazy to do something like this unless you already own all the domain options.

]]> 2008-04-30T14:27:26Z tag:www.readwriteweb.com,2008://1.6205-comment:53500 Comment from James Mayes on 2008-04-30 James Mayes Hi Chris. We've purchased most.

@truth-now. SKIRT! magazine was indeed around for a long while -- just not in any of the cities where the ladies lived or if so no one knew about it. Houston has already come and gone hasn't it? Also, you procured skirt.com well after sk-rt.com launched. So all of this that got us there happened honestly and was unfortunate.

Either way, we are moving on and hope the best for everyone.

@Marshall - thanks for being the first person I've read that "gets it" when it comes to the model. Slashdot was all-moderated and was well done (I still love it) and then Kevin Rose reacted with Digg.com to inject a bit more democracy (and I like that too and all the Revision3 work!) but we think we've struck a middle ground that will let selected articles stand out through volunteer editors and guest editors while allowing the broader user community to get in the mix!

Thanks for getting it and we're glad we found your site.

James Mayes

]]> 2008-04-30T15:30:56Z tag:www.readwriteweb.com,2008://1.6205-comment:53511 Comment from Jim Withington on 2008-04-30 Jim Withington http://hardlikealgebra.com @Ajay: while the site isn't only for women, it takes women as its angle. That makes sense, eh?

@truthnow yeah, it sure seems like you can TRADEMARK a word like "skirt."

I'm off to go trademark "car," "tree," and "and," now....

Related art!

Trademarked: Freedom of Expression

]]> 2008-04-30T17:45:02Z tag:www.readwriteweb.com,2008://1.6205-comment:53512 Comment from VOIS GARY on 2008-04-30 VOIS GARY http://www.vois.com I met Gabrielle Blair and her girls @ the NYC Mashmeet. I can tell you personally that their members will pick the coolest name of the 10, because they are a smart and talented group. I personally liked the name but I am sure it has its problems. (all unique domains do)

Good luck to the site formally know as sk*rt. We wish you the best.

Gary
Co-Founder
VOIS.com

]]> 2008-04-30T18:05:13Z tag:www.readwriteweb.com,2008://1.6205-comment:53515 Comment from Deb on the Rocks on 2008-04-30 Deb on the Rocks http://www.debontherocks.com I hope they take this as a great opportunity to retool their brand. The right change could lead to excellent opportunities for them. I gave them my idea and I'll be eager to see where the week leads them.

]]> 2008-04-30T18:13:38Z tag:www.readwriteweb.com,2008://1.6205-comment:53525 Comment from jared on 2008-04-30 jared here's an archived version of skirt.com about a year ago:

1.http://web.archive.org/web/20070506222426/www.skirtmag.com/

2. then sk-rt launched.

3.then skirtmag.com became skirt.com

3-a.then skirt.com did an 'inspired redesign' and basically ripped off the sk-rt look and feel, complete with logo and typeface. except it wasn't done by anyone with any creative vision, so it's just a crappy knock-off copy. not cool.

good luck sk-rt people, you're creative and your idea is solid.

]]> 2008-04-30T20:11:02Z tag:www.readwriteweb.com,2008://1.6205-comment:53526 Comment from jenny, bloggess on 2008-04-30 jenny, bloggess http://thebloggess.com I've just trademarked the word "The". All of you will be hearing from my lawyer.

]]> 2008-04-30T20:23:26Z tag:www.readwriteweb.com,2008://1.6205-comment:53531 Comment from James on 2008-04-30 James Check out this gem from 2007:

Skirt! sues Pink magazine over alleged similarities
http://tinyurl.com/5fcp4j

]]> 2008-04-30T21:11:20Z tag:www.readwriteweb.com,2008://1.6205-comment:53545 Comment from jared on 2008-04-30 jared from the 2007 suit:

" The suit says Pink was created in such a way as to have "a free ride on the reputation and goodwill of ... Skirt! magazine."

The suit also says that those similarities may cause confusion for customers, leading them to think there's a connection between the publications. "


if this is so then why did "skirt!" redesign their site to look just like sk-rt? was it so they could have a free ride on the reputation of sk-rt? aren't they worried that their redesign would lead customers to think there's a connection between the publications?

]]> 2008-04-30T23:53:08Z tag:www.readwriteweb.com,2008://1.6205-comment:53556 Comment from Erin on 2008-05-01 Erin http://www.prettysocial.net/ Hey Marshall,

You omitted PrettySocial from your list :-)

We're a social news site for young women (we love sk*rt, but it targets older women), and our story submissions focus on fashion, beauty, health, relationships, etc. Think of us as a women's magazine 2.0!

http://www.prettysocial.net/

Do drop by and let us know what you think!

Erin

]]> 2008-05-01T08:24:48Z tag:www.readwriteweb.com,2008://1.6205-comment:53567 Comment from AC on 2008-05-01 AC Sk*rt targets "older women"?! Erin, I consider myself to be a young woman and I use sk*rt. Who are you targeting? 8 year olds?

Skirt! Magazine is a bully.

]]> 2008-05-01T15:00:47Z tag:www.readwriteweb.com,2008://1.6205-comment:53577 Comment from Liz on 2008-05-01 Liz http://coolmompicks.com Great article Marshall.

The sk*rt (or fka sk*rt) gals are creative, inspired, and inventive. They truly get the ideals of community, shared opportunity and sisterhood that this litigious web magazine only preaches. This is why my website has been honored to support them from the start and will continue to do so, whatever the name.

(Which we hope is She Saw. That is, unless the magazine now claims to have a trademark on the word "she" and a patent on the written word.)

In the end, visionaries win. Not lawyers.

]]> 2008-05-01T16:33:12Z tag:www.readwriteweb.com,2008://1.6205-comment:53585 Comment from Super Zoe on 2008-05-01 Super Zoe OLD?! OLD?! Erin, maybe you mean "married" or "maternal" (there are scads of moms) but I am not OLD! (Mostly not old. Maybe a little.) I will check out your site!

I love Sk-rt.com and the ladies who launched it. Onward and upward!

PS: I am trademarking the alphabet AND the coveted '*' so good luck to all of you! ;)

]]> 2008-05-01T17:10:21Z tag:www.readwriteweb.com,2008://1.6205-comment:53589 Comment from ses on 2008-05-01 ses i think sk-rt is better off in the end. and taking the high road? good for them. and honestly, who has ever heard of skirt magazine? in the end they're losing out of all the inadvertent traffic they got. thanks for the post.

]]> 2008-05-01T17:38:54Z tag:www.readwriteweb.com,2008://1.6205-comment:53590 Comment from fran on 2008-05-01 fran skirt! magazine has been using "She Said" for years. isn't SheSaw another knockoff?

]]> 2008-05-01T18:05:20Z tag:www.readwriteweb.com,2008://1.6205-comment:53591 Comment from Andy on 2008-05-01 Andy "Ummmm, that's what she said?" (Copyright Skirt! Magazine; Steve Carrell, NBC’s “The Office”)

]]> 2008-05-01T18:14:34Z tag:www.readwriteweb.com,2008://1.6205-comment:53605 Comment from Rav on 2008-05-01 Rav @fran - Do you think anyone at Skirt! Magazine (which started in 1994) ever saw the movie "He Said, She Said" which came out in 1991?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/He_Said,_She_Said

Your thoughts?

]]> 2008-05-01T21:46:43Z tag:www.readwriteweb.com,2008://1.6205-comment:53609 Comment from TrueLightTracey on 2008-05-01 TrueLightTracey http://www.TrueLightResources.com Mean People Suck -- can I say that without consulting my lawyer for trade embargo infarction infringement?

Ladies - and you know who you are, and if you don't well, you've got bigger problems up your dang skirt now dontcha? Ladies - I love you. The good shall prevail.

Stick that in your truth pipe and smoke it!

Peace, Love & Light~

]]> 2008-05-01T23:06:02Z tag:www.readwriteweb.com,2008://1.6205-comment:53616 Comment from Jenny, Bloggess on 2008-05-01 Jenny, Bloggess http://thebloggess.com/ Ooh Andy, alert Steve Carrell that Skirt! had that completely innovative phrase first. From now on he'll have to say "That's what the female that I was referring to stated."

Oh, that's much better.

Thanks, Skirt!, for making the world a better place with your unique brand of selfishness.

]]> 2008-05-02T00:45:59Z tag:www.readwriteweb.com,2008://1.6205-comment:54537 Comment from Ivan on 2008-05-11 Ivan http://blog.snipperoo.com Name:19rocks (The 19th amendment rocks.) Actually this can be 19 anything. Ideas?
Domain Name: 19rocks.com

Here it comes, here it comes, here it comes, here comes your 19th nervous breakdown
Oh, who's to blame? That girl's just insane. Well nothing I do don't seem to work, it just seems to make matters worse ...

I like it :-)

]]> 2008-05-12T06:53:08Z tag:www.readwriteweb.com,2008://1.6205-comment:54741 Comment from Wendy Piersall on 2008-05-13 Wendy Piersall http://www.sparkplugging.com I wanna know how the Sk*rt chicks got such great coverage from ReadWriteWeb.

*feeling rejected*

Wendy

(Formerly eMoms at Home. And I put the rename up for a vote too. Sniff.)

]]> 2008-05-14T05:44:22Z