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Eugen Rochko

Picking a title for the App Store page is not easy. Just "Mastodon" is taken by someone - I can't find who or what. So needs more words. "for iOS" is redundant and not permitted. "Decentralized" is so long it doesn't leave any characters for the noun. Besides, I don't want any technical jargon. Any words that a random internet user won't immediately recognize. Twitch has it so easy with its "Twitch: Live Game Streaming". Short and clear.

66 comments
Biason::Julio::new();

@Gargron "Mastodon: Weird".

Curious. Creates a sense of adventure.

mmu_man

@Gargron Mastodon Decentralized Microblogging?

Rev. Poppy Haze

@Gargron Mastodon: Microblogs, Free and Decentralized ?

Григорий Клюшников

Wait, app names in the app store, the user-visible ones, must be unique?

Eugen Rochko

@grishka Yes. But the actual app name on the home screen doesn't have to be.

wakest ⁂

@Gargron @grishka I did not know this and now some of the ridiculous strings people use make slightly more sense.

oshy

@Gargron I'm really hoping this app gets you one of those "featured" pages on the App store where Apple interviews you because that would be fucking epic

oshy

@Gargron If they do I'll be really happy and screenshot it and save it 4ever

Григорий Клюшников

That said, I've never really liked how 99% of mobile app listings have names in the form of "App Name: Description Purpose Bla Bla".

Eugen Rochko

@grishka If I had a registered trademark I'd be able to submit a claim and get the simple name. Trademark registration in the US has been quoted at approx. $2k USD to me.

Eugen Rochko

@val @grishka I'm not sure because the advice is US-centric, but Apple is a US-company and the name of the app is localized to English (U.S.)

Elda King

@Gargron Is Mastodon Social Network too long? Mastodon Microblog, or Mastodon Network?

It's the kind of thing that would have made sense before I was familiar with it.

Maike

@Gargron Mastodon Fediverse or Mastodon Fedi App?

Fedi.Tips 🎄

@Gargron

Thinking about the non-technical users that this app is specifically aimed at, I would go for:

Mastodon Social Network

Chris [list of seasonal emoji]

@Gargron

1. Official Mastodon

2. Jastodon (Jean Mastodon)

3. Clucker

4. Mood

(Not all of these are serious suggestions.)

Cats Who Code 💙💛

@Gargron WTAF it should not be that difficult! Maybe some variation on the word Mastodon?

craig

@Gargron why not just drop the Mastodon from the title

Eugen Rochko

I found Skype is allowed to be called "Skype for iPhone" so maybe "Mastodon for iPhone" will work and save me this headache. Still thinking about a subtitle though.

Григорий Клюшников

Eugen, but if you decide to support iPad in the future, you'd have to rename it to "Mastodon for iP(hone|ad)"

oshy

@Gargron What if you make an iPad version later tho..!

Wonderfall

@Gargron Ah there won't be an iPad version then? Seems too exclusive to call it "for iPhone".

Aaruni Kaushik

@Gargron "federated microblogging" ? Its slightly better than decentralised IMO.

Stochastic Parrot

@Gargron "Skype for iPhone" and "Skype for iPad" are two different names for two different apps. Did you just forget iPad?

Eugen Rochko

@dmonad I'm not allowed "Mastodon for iOS" and I'm not allowed "Mastodon"

Stochastic Parrot

@Gargron Yes I've read your thread, but "Mastodon for iPhone" will make users think there is another app called "Mastodon for iPad". Did you make an iPad version for your app?

CutThroat Neko

@Gargron
What about a simple "Mastodon Mobile" ?
Too old fashion ?

L'égrégore André ꕭꕬ

@Gargron "Mastodon: connected social media" (or "connected communities")?

duck

@Gargron I also like Mastodon: The Fediverse

a3r0

@Gargron You gotta include “Toot” in there somewhere. That term is one of my favorite things about this platform 🦣

___

@Gargron
I like the previous suggestion
"Mastodon Social Network"
because it seems to match your criteria, it is descriptive, short and simultaneously sounds good to me.

While not exactly matching your criteria I also like some of the suggested titles which already introduce the user to the underlying concept.
e.g. "Mastodon Fediverse"

마키

@Gargron although they may be debatable , here they go:

Mastodon: Live social network freedom

Mastodon: Live free social

Mastodon: An attempt at freedom

Mastodon: Tell it, fight your freedom

Mastodon: An entrance to the fediverse

Mastodon: Free a open social network

jeremy

@Gargron "Official Mastodon" or "Mastodon Official"?

Could try adding TM super text to the title as well.

Passepartout

@Gargron I’m of two minds about using some variation of ‘fediverse’… on the one hand, I don’t know if normal uninitiated people would grok what it means. (I wasn’t familiar with the term before the period in which I became interested in joining, but I’m a sample size of one.) On the other hand, it would help advertise the existence of other parts of the fediverse if it’s in the app name.

John

@Gargron I am fond of themes that indicate user control. Maybe something like "Mastodon: Free your time(line)"

An Englishman

@Gargron "toot(ing) on Mastodon" - describes what you do with it!

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