I'm not sure if this is an appropriate type of question but since I've
had such good luck with Google Answers in the past I figured I would
post it...

I'm starting a business this year and have just about everything in
place...except for a name. I've been trying to figure out a name for a
couple of months and still don't have anything I like. I'm getting to
the point where I'll have to come up with something soon. Add comments
to this thread and if I end up using one of your suggestions, I let
you know and you can offer it as the answer.

Here are the details:

-The business is going to be a web portal for those interested in
learning via audio. For example, people who like audio programs from
people like Tony Robbins, Wayne Dyer, Brian Tracy, etc. as well as
recorded audiobooks (primarily non-fiction) and college courses on
audio (such as those from The Teaching Company).

-Essentially the domain name should incorporate or invoke both the
elements of audio and learning. audiolearning.com is an obvious name
but the domain name is already taken and the owner won't sell. Some
other names that I have thought about that won't work (again, because
the domain names are unavailable) are:

audiouniversity.com
listenandlearn.com
goldenears.com
listenup.com
audiorevolution.com
audiopower.com

I think you get the point. 

-The domain name has to be available (this can be checked at
www.netsol.com). If worse comes to worse I may purchase a domain name
from someone but ideally it will be something that isn't taken. In
addition, there can't be another reasonably-sized business with the
same name. I don't want any intellectual property issues.

-I might be OK with a totally-unrelated name (e.g. how Amazon and
Yahoo named their businesses). However, I have no idea where to begin
there. If I did do an unrelated name it would have to be something
easy to spell and a shorter word/domain name would be preferred.

-Another idea that I thought might be cool would be to use a
Greek/Latin/Sanskrit word for listening or hearing. However, I don't
have any clue as to what that would be or where to begin.

Anyway, that's some basic information to get you started. If you have
any further questions, feel free to let me know. Thanks!

I've put on my thinking cap (or, since I'm thinking audio, my thinking
headphones) and have come up with an assortment of names for your
consideration. According to Network Solutions, all of these domain
names are currently available:

1)   auddity.com
2)   audfellows.com
3)   audiacademy.com, audiacademia.com, or audioacademia.com
4)   audiaunce.com
5)   audiaura.com
6)   audiaux.com
7)   audibrain.com
8)   audiconcepts.com
9)   audilearn.com
10)  audindex.com
11)  audiocognition.com or audicognition.com
12)  audio-intellect.com
13)  audiolore.com
14)  audiomental.com
15)  audiomotivations.com or audiomotives.com
16)  audlot.com  or  audlots.com
17)  auracademics.com or auracademia.com ("auris" is Latin for "ear")
18)  auralius.com
19)  auriops.com
20)  auristia.com
21)  auristics.com
22)  earcademy.com
23)  earintellect.com
24)  earintelligence.com
25)  earme.com
26)  ear-port.com
27)  freshear.com or fresh-ear.com
28)  heard-mentality.com
29)  hear-here.com
30)  hearstyle.com
31)  hearwave.com
32)  integua.com
33)  inteleportal.com  or  intelleportal.com
34)  inteliportation.com, intelliportation.com, or inteleportation.com
35)  intellaudio.com
36)  intellaux.com
37)  intellectuear.com
38)  listeninglibrarian.com
39)  listenlore.com
40)  listenop.com or listen-op.com
41)  mentauria.com
42)  mentaux.com
43)  otomotive.com or otomotivation.com ("oto" is Greek for "ear")
44)  owl-ears.com
45)  soundcastles.com
46)  soundlearn.com
47)  soundlore.com
48)  soundthink.com
49)  voxlunch.com
50)  voxmind.com

As a short, catchy slogan for your site, I suggest something like
"It's a sound idea" or "Acquire a sound education."

Thanks for an enjoyable project. I hope my ideas will be helpful.
Please request clarification if there's anything more I can do for
you; I'll be glad to offer further assistance before you rate my
answer.

Best regards,
pinkfreud

---

Request for Answer Clarification by jpbischke-ga on 08 Jan 2004 12:48 PST

pinkfreud,

First, thank you for all of the helpful suggestions.  However, let me
clarify how I would like the answering process to work.  Since I may
not choose one of your names, I would prefer for you to put your
answer in as a comment for now.  If I indeed do choose one of your
names I will let you know in which case you can put it as the answer
to the question.  I also want to give other people the opportunity to
offer their suggestions as well.  I know this is a bit different from
how Google Answers typically operates but I hope that, given the
nature of the question, you understand.

---

Clarification of Answer by pinkfreud-ga on 08 Jan 2004 14:20 PST

I am sorry to have misunderstood what you were seeking here. Since
your question did not indicate that you desired comments, rather than
a fully-developed answer, I felt confident in proceeding as I did. I
have contacted the Google Answers Editors about this situation. The
Editors suggest that you apply for a refund without rating my answer.

To apply for a refund: http://answers.google.com/answers/main?cmd=refundrequest

~pinkfreud

I posted a question of a somewhat unusual nature.  The researcher
answering the question did not understand how I wished to proceed (I
wished the researchers to offer answers as comments and I would ask
one of them to submit their comment as an answer if it was the one I
wanted).  The researcher who answered the question contacted Google
and the response he received was that I should request a refund and
re-post the question if I desired.

Dear jpbischke,

With all due respect: Is it possible that you have slightly
misunderstood the concept of Google Answers? Please keep in mind that
you can't go to a butcher's, eat five sausages and then say that you
will only pay for the one you liked best.
Why should Researchers be willing to work on your question if the
opportunity that thay will get paid tends towards zero?

Regards,
Scriptor

To clarify my intent in answering the question: I misunderstood your
statement "Add comments to this thread and if I end up using one of
your suggestions, I let you know and you can offer it as the answer."
I mistakenly thought that you wanted comments added by other
Researchers *in addition to* an answer, rather than *in lieu of* an
answer, and that, if a commenter's suggestion appealed to you, you
would post a new question to reward that person.

~pinkfreud

I've used Google Answers many times before so it's not as if I
misunderstand how the service works.  My question was of a unique
format, sort of on a contingency basis.  Someone could have listed 500
names that I didn't like and you are correct, they wouldn't have been
paid.  On the other hand, someone could take 10 seconds, post a name
that I like and get $50 (or whatever the researcher % is).  Not bad
for 10 seconds worth of work...

Anyway, I did mention this in my question but it appears that I wasn't
as clear as I should have been.  I do apologize for this.

pinkfreud, is there anyway to withdraw an answer?

jpbischke,

As I mentioned above, I asked the Google Answers Editors what should
be done here. Their suggestion was that I should point you toward the
procedure for getting a refund. When a refund is granted, the
Researcher's answer is set aside, and the customer's account is
charged only a fifty-cent listing fee ($0.50). As part of the refund
procedure, you can opt to repost the question, which will reopen it to
other Researchers.

To begin the refund procedure, please click here: 

http://answers.google.com/answers/main?cmd=refundrequest

~pinkfreud

Dear jpbischke,

Just so no one is hurt in this transaction, I would like to suggest
that my fellow researchers offer their comments in the spirit of
Fellowship of the Pink.  These kinds of questions are more fun than
work to most of us who like to play with words, so as a donation to a
customer and to keep all checks and balances in place, here is my list
of contenders.  These are Latin, Greek, Old English, German, Icelandic
and Sanskrit variations on learn, listen, hear, knowledge, ear,
instruction, sound, and audio.

Sources:  Random House Unabridged 
http://www.uni-koeln.de/phil-fak/indologie/tamil/mwd_search.html 


accipere.com

sonognostic.com

learning-canal.com

perdiscere.com

cognoto.com

loquella.com

biauricle/byauricle.com

gnosear.com

otognosis.com

hylsnan.com

wisear.com

xilearn.com

peer2ear.com

audioversity.com

heyra.com (Ice. = to hear)

earsatz.com

audiosed.com

myauricle.com

tympanica/tympanika.com

vidma.com (Sanskrit = to know/learn)

pratizru.com (Sanskrit = to listen)

zruti.com (hearing/listening)

vacograha.com (Sanskrit = receiving words/the ear)

anuzisti.com (Sanskrit = instruction/teaching)

With my compliments,
V

Some additional suggestions:
   
akouste .com [= listen! (pl.) in Modern Greek]
akouse .com [= listen! (sing.) in Modern Greek]
akroasis .org [= hearing, listening]
(akroasis.com is taken, but akroasis.org is available.)
   
A few more Sanskrit ones:
shrutena .com [= (instr.S) thro' hearing, or thro' Veda]
shrutii.com .com [= that which hears i.e. ears]
shrutasya.com [= all that is already heard]
shrutam .com [= heard]
shrunoti .com [= to hear]
shrotavyasya .com [= toward all that is to be heard]
(these are are all available)
  
  
regards,
Jackburton