In searching through various databases, I noticed that even in the academic databases there were "catchy titles," which repeatedly turned up, if only through book reviews. They often start with something like "Why Smart People..." and then go to stupid things or bad decisions or falling for fads and so on. What might this mean for Smart People magazine?

Thanks for that bit of research, Alice. I've also been Googling "smart people" and coming up with the same thing. My purpose was to see how much activity or subject matter I could locate that would provide me with key words I could use in chasing down content for the magazine.

Obviously, I needed to find a key word other than "smart people". Haven't found it yet. Let's keep looking. Maybe we'll find another name for the magazine in the process.

Meanwhile, I'm getting sporadic unsolicited comments from Facebook friends saying they like/love the name. Haven't had any negatives lately. Of course, that's purely anecdotal.

We are short on research not only regarding the name but the market for what we envision SP to be. Anyone have suggestions on how to do it without breaking our (literally) piggy bank?

I hate to say it, but the title "Smart People" may be a handicap: there is still a strong anti-intellectual (indeed anti-learning) bias among non-nerds, and the nerds do not yet rule the media. Nerds being mostly smart people, I assume. I get the feeling that the title will do for a while until the mission of the magazine coalesces out of our network clouds.

Again, Vivienne, welcome to this work group. As you can see by the discussion so far, there has been concern about the name Smart People. Nothing is set in stone and I'm wondering how we can do a survey on the cheap.

Jerry, to prevent the intellectual touch of the magazine I already suggested in the SP facebook group to add "We're all" to "Smart People" and to include a sub-heading like the following

"Learn from eachother how to apply knowledge!"

A corresponding logo for the magazine could look like this
http://smart-people.mixxt.com/networks/images/image.14110#image

Regards,
Boris

edited on 04/12/2008 by Boris Jaeger

Yes, Boris, I haven't forgotten and the logo will definitely have a sub header below the name. There are two problems with adding "We are all" to the name itself.

1. The name should be a label head, not a statement.
2. It's too many words. Loses impact.

But hey, how 'bout this one: "Ain't got no Dumb People 'round here" :-)

Okay, on a serious note, I said I wouldn't share any of my other ideas for a name, but how 'bout this one?

NOODLE
Using your brain in the Knowledge Age

Problem is, we will have an international audience and I don't know whether the expression "noodle" for head or brain computes in other cultures. But my good friend Jenny Ambrozek got very excited once when I used the expression "noodles and networks" in something I wrote her.

Oh for heaven's sake. It wasn't "noodle" but "noggin" I used in my email to Jenny.

Meanwhile, I was watching an interview with Rush Limbaugh on TV a moment ago and he referred to "smart people" as elitists. Hmmmm.

edited on 05/12/2008 by Jerry Ash

ok, let's populate with ideas of general titles here that maybe ok. How about: Open; Dynamic; Transform; Evolve; Emerge; Criss x Cross; Kool; Socio; Velocity;

I looked up smart in the urban dictionary (which sometimes provides rude awakenings about seemingly benign terms): http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?page=3&term=smart and it doesn't seem to reveal major pitfalls.