Name My Domain

[vovat]

So, LiveJournal is cool in many ways, but I've been thinking (partially at the behest of bethje) that I should get my own domain for blogging. I'm not entirely sure what I'd call it, though. The obvious "vovat.com" and "nathandehoff.com" aren't really all that memorable, so I'd welcome any suggestions you might have. I guess I'd mostly want to use the site for my more scholarly posts, although I'm not sure whether I'd count the Oz stuff in that category or not. I mean, I guess it's scholarly, but does it have much mass appeal? I don't know.

One thing I do like about LiveJournal is that there's somewhat of a captive audience. Sure, you can skip my posts, but if you use the friends page you're at least aware that I've written something. Of course, you can now subscribe to a feed of pretty much any blog on Google Reader or a similar application, but is it as common? What I don't really like about LJ is that, while the commenting system is convenient for anyone who has an account, it really isn't for anyone else. And there's the whole image thing, with a memorable domain name probably being more likely to attract new viewers than a LiveJournal page. Any other thoughts on the matter? I don't plan to avoid LJ entirely, but I would like for people other than my LJ friends to read some of my stuff (assuming any of them are interested).

Comments

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Of course, you can now subscribe to a feed of pretty much any blog on Google Reader or a similar application, but is it as common?

Can you do that for just something on your own site? I've only ever been able to get it to work on other actual blogging sites (Wordpress etc.).

I'm not quite sure what you're asking. It can be used to read blogs on different sites, but I don't quite know what the limits are.

What I don't really like about LJ is that, while the commenting system is convenient for anyone who has an account, it really isn't for anyone else.

How so? (Assuming you have anonymous comments turned on I mean).

Yes, anyone CAN comment anonymously, but why would you WANT to? I know Jared Davis has a non-LJ account that he can use to comment on LJ posts, and I think I've seen the same thing in other places. Still, sometimes a person will want to leave a comment and not feel like signing up for an account somewhere, and making such comments anonymous is kind of a turn-off, at least for me.

[slfcllednowhere.livejournal.com]

Well, when I've left anonymous comments for people on other sites, I'll say who I am like a signature or something. Other people don't do that? That's lame.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Well, some people probably forget.