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Bolt: Dear Instagram,(blog.bolt.co)

9 years ago from Johnny Lam, Visual Designer at UC Riverside

  • Michael AleoMichael Aleo, 9 years ago (edited 9 years ago )

    I'll say the same thing I said during the "Paper" uproar:

    When you select a name like Paper or Bolt, you do so knowing that there are already companies and products using that name. It's a common english word. Hell, Apple just settled their naming suit last year with Apple Records/Apple Corp, which was ongoing from 1978 until 2007.

    Bolt is a common surname, a town name three times over, the title of two movies, a comic book hero, the name of three sports teams, a bus company, and a social networking site that operated from 1996-2007.

    If you want to be completely unique, it's on you to come up with a name no one else is using, otherwise you're just as guilty as the next guy.

    Oh, and I don't think the iPad drawing app Paper was hurt at all with the launch of Facebook Paper.

    Edit: Incorrectly named Paper as Pages.

    41 points
    • Ben Henschel, 9 years ago

      I think you mean, "Paper".

      2 points
    • Nathan NNathan N, 9 years ago (edited 9 years ago )

      If you want to be completely unique, it's on you to come up with a name no one else is using, otherwise you're just as guilty as the next guy.

      This seems to be incredibly common with .co and .io domains where words that have been off the map for internet eons are reemerging in domain names. Bolt dot com being four letter domain was registered back in '97!

      There are a lot of ways to get the idea of 'Bolt' across; the English language is pretty clever.

      edit: Ofc I feel for the little guys in this situation; instagram doesn't need 'companion apps' .

      1 point
    • Clark WimberlyClark Wimberly, 9 years ago

      "a social networking site that operated from 1996-2007"

      Lol when I saw this post, I thought "Shiiiit, Bolt is still around?", thinking this Bolt was the same as that Bolt, and not even counting this new Bolt.

      Silly to claim ownership of a name that's already been used for an internet startup.

      2 points
    • Jonathan YapJonathan Yap, 9 years ago

      Instagram, I'm coming for you and it'll be lighting.

      Imgur

      4 points
    • Brian BehrendBrian Behrend, 9 years ago

      Yep, we could find a half dozen Internet/mobile companies (yet alone companies in other industries) using the name before Bolt.co. This letter makes them look silly.

      0 points