What’s in a name?
That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet
I will allow that the line does not really work here. I’m not Juliet, this isn’t Verona and there ain’t a Montague in sight. But how could I resist? The Name Inspector* doesn’t like the name LiftPort …
First, what’s exciting about the “Elevator to Space” idea is that it goes to outer space. There’s nothing about space in the name LiftPort. Lift gets at the idea of going up, but it’s a mundane word and does not evoke a vivid image. It makes The Name Inspector’s spouse think of those little things you put in your shoes to appear an inch or two taller. Doesn’t exactly send the imagination soaring beyond geosynchronous orbit, does it?Then there’s the word port. It’s a perfectly good word to use in this context, evoking airports and shipping ports. But it’s a bit redundant in combination with lift. Like lift, port also suggests moving or carrying, as in transport and teleport (it is, in fact, derived from the Latin word meaning ‘to carry’). This kind of redundancy makes a compound name fall a bit flat, and squanders the opportunity that such names provide to combine words and their meanings in jarring and delightful ways.
Another problem with the combination of lift and port is that it just leads to too much ambiguity. Either word can be interpreted as a noun or a verb. That makes it especially hard to see how the meanings of the two words should be combined. Is this a port that lifts you up? A lift that ports you somewhere? Something that’s a combination of a lift and a port? A little artful ambiguity in a name is good, but too much is confusing.
Phonetically the name is okay, with balanced sonority and a little poetry from the repeated [t] sounds at the ends of both component words. The sequence of consonants in the middle–[ftp]–is a little hard to pronounce, though.
LiftPort isn’t one of those terrible, embarrassing names (ed – hurrah). The rationale for it makes perfect sense. It just doesn’t convey the excitement of this venture, and it doesn’t leave a strong impression on the mind. A better name would provide a more vivid image of an elevator going into space.
Valid criticism. And thanks for pointing it out. I’m not sure changing the name is is going to happen at this point – the book would have to be reprinted not to mention our business cards would be wrong – but you never know.
Respectfully Submitted,
Brian Dunbar
*Notice the Space Needle in his title logo? Man that thing gets everywhere.
February 5th, 2007 at 9:52 am
[...] The Name Inspector would like to thank Michael Laine and Brian Dunbar for their gracious responses to his critical comments about the name LiftPort. Brian links to the critique in a good-natured post. In a comment Michael vows to impress the world with results rather than words. That’s really what matters, isn’t it? In the meantime, check out the posters and T-shirts for sale on the LiftPort website. They feature images from 3D models of the space elevator, and appear to be a lot cooler than the name! [...]
February 5th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
I actually like the name LiftPort. Why?
Because it sounds like a boring transportation company hauling goods from point A to point B.
It also has more “character” or seriousness to it then say “SkyWire,” which sounds like one of the many web 2.0 startups out there or some random internet company.
If I told my friends, “Hey, there is this cool company called Skywire that is trying to build an elevator to the stars,” they would either wonder if I was referring to some random video game or if I drank the wrong koolaid.
But when I mentioned that, “a company called LiftPort is trying to build an elevator to the stars” they often laugh at the idea, BUT ask for more details regarding what LiftPort is (since it sounds similar to seaport, airport, etc.)
It may not be flashy like other space company names (4Frontiers, Black Line Ascension, Space Foundation, Red Colony, etc.) but it generally has a more “earthly feel” towards it, giving it more relevance to the everyday person.
March 11th, 2009 at 11:35 pm
I tried to signup for your RSS feed but it didn’t work. How can I do this?
August 1st, 2009 at 2:12 pm
On the top right corner of the website is the link for signing up for the newsletter (highly recommended) and on the left middle is the RSS feed info.
Thanks for your interest (and patience!)
Take care. mjl