On the naming of Websites - its the sitters wot need shooting

NYT article today on the silly names of some of the Web 2.0 companies:

These are all actual Web sites that have hit the Web in the last year or so: Doostang. Wufoo. Bliin. Thoof. Bebo. Meebo. Meemo. Kudit. Raketu. Etelos. Iyogi. Oyogi. Qoop. Fark. Kijiji. Zixxo. Zoogmo.

These startups think that these names will stick in our minds because they're so offbeat, but they're wrong. Actually, all those twentysomething entrepreneurs are ensuring that we won't remember them. Those names all blend together into a Dr. Seuss 2.0 jumble.

While true, and some of these illiterate entrepreneurs need to be hung up by their own testimonials, there is - as anyone who has tried to find a name recently will tell you - a bigger problem.

Name-Sitters.

Go on, think of a meaningful site name, and then try and get it registered - and I will bet you its owned - not used mind you, just parked somewhere and there will be a note saying you are welcome to buy it from the owner, no reasonable offer refused.

The reason is that its pretty cheap to register names, and all you need is one desperate dotcom to hand over a few thousands of dollars for the ROI to get bigtime interesting.

In my view there should be a "use it or lose it" period of a year, as the other option - charging more such as with registering a company - will end the joy of anyone being able to set up a site, especially in the developing world.