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0 pointsrpeden7y ago0 comments

Maybe it's a geographic thing?

I feel like anyone who grew up in a region where duck, duck goose was a common game for children to play wouldn't be too confused about the name.

Not that being confused about the name or disliking it is a bad thing. But I like the name, and it's part of the reason I chose to start using DDG.

If they changed it to something more generic, I'd be less likely to keep using it because I'd feel less of a connection to the brand. If I'm going to use something that generic and corporate, then Binging sounds more fun than Ducking.

I do realize that potentially losing me as a user doesn't mean this would be a bad move for DDG overall.

0 comments

simias7y ago

I'm not a native English speaker and "duck duck go" doesn't evoke anything at all to me. I learned the reference from your comment even though I've been using DDG for years.

If they want to expand to non-English speaking countries having a long and somewhat complicated name like "duckduckgo" seems like a liability.

basil-rash7y ago

I am a native English speaker, and I played duck duck goose as a kid, and I didn't make the connection until just now.

Part of the reason I use Bing is the name is nicer in my head. Also the background images are cool (it's my homepage).

rpedenOP7y ago

You could certainly be right!

Maybe it is one of those names that could endear your company to a certain audience, but alienate it to a wider audience.

electrograv7y ago

Oh, I'm fully familiar with the game it's referring to. I just don't understand the connection between a serious search engine and a silly child's game.

Is it some kind of inside joke? I just don't get it. I have nothing against the child's game; it just makes no sense to anyone that they named it after that, and it's not an easy name to pronounce or type. Bottom line: It sounds, feels, and looks bad on them.

adventured7y ago

Keep in mind, Google was roundly mocked initially as a ridiculous name that sounded like a word a baby/child might say.

Google, Bing, Yahoo!, A9 Search, Excite, AltaVista, Overture, Inktomi, Lycos, HotBot, DogPile, Mamma.com., Teoma, Ask Jeeves, Cuil.

Those are all ridiculous names if you want to scale them by seriousness.

Then you have MSN Search, AOL / NetFind, InfoSeek, GoTo, LookSmart, WebCrawler, alltheweb. Slightly less ridiculous sounding, which ultimately that didn't make any difference.

jfarlow7y ago

I still remember when 'googol' was my 2nd grade answer to 'no, I like it thousands better, no millions better, no billions better, no googol better!'

And somehow that silly abstraction for "a big number number than yours" became a mega-behemoth of a corporation.

robin_reala7y ago

I’d never heard about the game until I started using DDG, and ducks are definitely a thing in the UK.

rpedenOP7y ago

Right, that's why I think familiarity with the game might be geographic - it seems like one of those games that's played in some places, but not others.

Or it could also be the case that the same game is played, but with a different name. Tracing the etymology of the name would be pretty interesting. As you mentioned, the game of duck duck goose is unheard of in many places that have plenty of ducks and geese.

mortenjorck7y ago

I played the game as a child, and so the reference wasn’t lost on me the first time I encountered DuckDuckGo – yet I recall my first reaction being “wow, what a clumsy, awkward name.”

It’s cute, but it’s antithetical to the idea of becoming a household word.

efreak7y ago

I always thought it'd be amusing if their logo was a goose instead of a duck...

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 pointsrpeden7y ago0 comments

Maybe it's a geographic thing?

I feel like anyone who grew up in a region where duck, duck goose was a common game for children to play wouldn't be too confused about the name.

Not that being confused about the name or disliking it is a bad thing. But I like the name, and it's part of the reason I chose to start using DDG.

I do realize that potentially losing me as a user doesn't mean this would be a bad move for DDG overall.

0 comments

simias7y ago

I'm not a native English speaker and "duck duck go" doesn't evoke anything at all to me. I learned the reference from your comment even though I've been using DDG for years.

If they want to expand to non-English speaking countries having a long and somewhat complicated name like "duckduckgo" seems like a liability.

basil-rash7y ago

I am a native English speaker, and I played duck duck goose as a kid, and I didn't make the connection until just now.

Part of the reason I use Bing is the name is nicer in my head. Also the background images are cool (it's my homepage).

rpedenOP7y ago

You could certainly be right!

Maybe it is one of those names that could endear your company to a certain audience, but alienate it to a wider audience.

electrograv7y ago

Oh, I'm fully familiar with the game it's referring to. I just don't understand the connection between a serious search engine and a silly child's game.

adventured7y ago

Keep in mind, Google was roundly mocked initially as a ridiculous name that sounded like a word a baby/child might say.

Google, Bing, Yahoo!, A9 Search, Excite, AltaVista, Overture, Inktomi, Lycos, HotBot, DogPile, Mamma.com., Teoma, Ask Jeeves, Cuil.

Those are all ridiculous names if you want to scale them by seriousness.

Then you have MSN Search, AOL / NetFind, InfoSeek, GoTo, LookSmart, WebCrawler, alltheweb. Slightly less ridiculous sounding, which ultimately that didn't make any difference.

jfarlow7y ago

I still remember when 'googol' was my 2nd grade answer to 'no, I like it thousands better, no millions better, no billions better, no googol better!'

And somehow that silly abstraction for "a big number number than yours" became a mega-behemoth of a corporation.

robin_reala7y ago

I’d never heard about the game until I started using DDG, and ducks are definitely a thing in the UK.

rpedenOP7y ago

Right, that's why I think familiarity with the game might be geographic - it seems like one of those games that's played in some places, but not others.

mortenjorck7y ago

I played the game as a child, and so the reference wasn’t lost on me the first time I encountered DuckDuckGo – yet I recall my first reaction being “wow, what a clumsy, awkward name.”

It’s cute, but it’s antithetical to the idea of becoming a household word.

efreak7y ago

I always thought it'd be amusing if their logo was a goose instead of a duck...

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse