I plan to change the titleย of this site later this year, from “Not That Mike The Other Mike” to “Cutetropolis.” My goal in this is to make the site less about me and more about cuteness, to broaden the appeal and create a more marketable brand name.
Nothing else about the site would change — all content and comments would remain, along with the layout and typography (I might experiment with color changes).
Below is my first sketch of a logo concept. This is not very polished, and I may consider hiring an artist to render a finished version.
I would like to get your thoughts on this, both positive and negative — about the change itself, the logo, or any other concerns that you might have.
In my mind, and I’m sure in the minds of all who followed you here, you will always be NTMTOM. That said, I do like the Cutetropolis idea and logo to accomplish the goals you outline here.
If Cutetropolis is going to continue to be animal-centric, do you want to perhaps incorporate more animal imagery into the logo?
In it for the long haul and looking forward to whatever your delightful mind comes up with.
That’s a very good point about getting an animal shape or shapes into the logo. I’ll see what I can think of.
Instead of the background circle it could be a paw print shape. What about “cute-centric” as a name–playing off of the facts that it’s mostly about cute things (but not always) and the eccentric (read: awesome) humor?
Thank you for the ideas! I’m really liking hearing from new commenters like you.
That was my thought as well; the logo isn’t as cute as the name. Not awful or anything, but less cute than the current mustachioed kitty. I like the new name, though.
I like Cutetropolis – as much as the current name is descriptive (all NOMTOM all the time!), it will definitely be easier to point my friends here.
About the logo: the smiling sun is cute, but at first I wondered if it is a smiling robot. The “metropolis” silhouette looks a bit like shoulders and upper body for the sun. Not that I’d mind cute, smiling robots…
Yeah, this is why I think I need to pay a better artist than myself who can make the little details clear and unambiguous. Good feedback, thanks.
If that makes you happy, go for it.
Cutetropolis is a great name.
Great name. I like the smiling sun. I agree with you – it’s a more marketable name for a website and for any swag you might want to market to support it all. I stand behind the initiative whole-heartedly. But I hope you’ll keep your handle / personal name and that you will continue to post in the comments section as you have been doing. It’s one of the things that I feel is setting you apart, that personal connection that I think we are all feeling to YOU.
Concur.
And another concur. I like the new name too.
Yes, I would keep my pen name and the notthatmiketheothermike.com domain name (it would redirect to cutetropolis.com, which I’ve already registered.) And my level of engagement would stay the same as well.
Then go for it!! The more support you have for the site, the better. As long as we have you making sure we get our proper dosage of cute every day, with that NTMTOM-flavor added, the world will be a better place!
It’d be… [drum roll]
NTMTOM’s… [pregnant pause…]
CUTETROPOLIS!!!! [fireworks, confetti, mad applause, whistles and general brouhaha ensue]
I like it!
Just please keep the “feel” of the site homey and slightly off-center (“Keep Austin/NOMTOM weird!”), with a healthy dose of sass, some snark for good measure, geeky/nerdy/pop-culture/literary references and fantastic flights of fancy.
In other words, be yourself.
*sneeef, you’re growing up, getting so big* ๐ Anything that allows you to succeed more, I am 100% behind you, Dear Sir!
I have some doubts about the name; I’m not sure that “cute” is the single word that best sums up your site. I love the wordplay and humor, which is not necessarily cute. (I.e., the spambot posts, etc.) On the other hand, I can see how a “cute” name would help draw people in. Hmm. If I think of an alternate suggestion, I’ll come back and post it.
Yeah, I was wondering how the “That’s Not Cute” category fits with the name. But I have nothing better to suggest. Not like I’m gonna go anywhere.. ๐
I would still write material that would fit in the current “That’s Not Cute” category, but I would categorize it differently, or perhaps not categorize it at all.
I kinda like “That’s not cute” though. ๐
You mean as a category? Yeah, I don’t think it really needs to go away entirely, but possibly the categories would be less prominently displayed.
That’s Not Cute must be the seedy underbelly of Cutetropolis. ๐
The back alleys!
Yes. Think of it as a true tropolis. Different “neighborhoods”.
Kinda like how Diagon Alley has a seedy underbelly in Knockturn Alley…..
Maybe as a linked and separate blog kind of like what Jen does with CakeWrecks and Epbot? One for cute critters and one for general goofing. I would read both, personally.
Anything that ends in drawing more people to the site is fine with me — well, as long as it doesn’t end up meaning I need a reservation…
Interesting. It makes sense as not a lot of people know how your name came about.
I think that it’s good that you’re broadening the appeal beyond cute. Those spambots are a signature already of this site.
In my head I’m saying “cu-tropolis” which is easier to say than “cutetropolis”. Sort of like I say “NOMTOM” in my head instead of “Not That Mike the Other Mike”. However, it is much harder to read “Cu-tropolis” and have it make sense.
Qtropolis? Nah. Only existing users would get that, if at all.
If you think the site is going to grow, you better think about what you’ll name the suburbs.
P.S. Thanks for the edit feature. I think better AFTER I’ve posted…
That’s a good point about the spelling. Thank you.
If you’re going after “cute” for SEO purposes, better to keep a recognizable spelling so it can be searched easier. Google might not recognize Qte. Although registering domains with alternate spellings might help with that.
Still haven’t come up with an alternate name.
I can see that Not That Mike The Other Mike doesn’t suggest what the site is about. I think Cutetropolis would be good if the logo showed the denizens of Cutetropolis – a number of the featured creatures, as cutely attired or posed as possible. Cutetropolis could be something like Hollywood in the movie “Jessica Rabbit.”
Now you’re talking! That is exactly my long-term vision for the site. For 2016, I just want to get the site rebranded, but over the years, I want to build upon the concept so that the design of the website itself becomes a source of amusement.
Yippee! “Jessica Rabbit” is one of my favorite movies!
I think a logo should be kept very simple, tho’ I understand the urge to include other imagery. Would there be a way, for example, to have a line of your own emojis/images that could relate to the look you want and that commenters could use to accent their comments?
That’s a very good idea, thank you for suggesting that.
That is what Cutetropolis brought to mind for me. When I say I like it here I think of us all in a digital village. The humans who comment live here and partake of the cute, not cute, spam bots, snark, etc. etc. open thread could be an ongoing place, etc.
I like the name. I like the idea of animals instead of the sun.
I second all Faye posted.
“cutetropolis” does feel a bit
awkward on the tongue,
though. I will get used to
it, I promise.
Gives new meaning to the term creature feature!
Maybe include some spam in a tux.. ๐
I like the logo as it is. Sure, you could fanci-fy it a bit, but sometimes simplistic works too.
Someone suggests adding animals, but I don’t think that’s necessary. So far, I think, your posts have been about cute animals, but will you ever consider other cute things? Food? Winking electrical outlets?
Definitely keep “That’s Not Cute”. Every Metropolis has its dark side; why should CuteTropolis be any different? You just admit to yours! ๐ (Cutetropolis? Cute Tropolis? CuTeTrOpOlIs? I keep wanting to pronounce it Cutropolis.)
I am one of the ones who suggested a name change early on.
The new name is better but it’s too hard to spell and type into a browser so it doesn’t solve all the problem with the name.
I recognise the challenge is coming up with a name with cute in the title but hasn’t had the domain registered
I suggest an open thread just to choose a name
Another solution to the domain name problem is for me to register alternative spellings, and have them redirect to the preferred spelling. That way, anyone who mistypes the domain name isn’t wrong; they’ll see the site they expect to see.
(FYI, you were the one who planted this idea in my mind, and I’m very glad you did. Thank you so much.)
Cute Farm
Cute Ville
Cute Land
Cute Life
Republic of Cute
Cute Commune
I just checked, and all of those names are already registered as dot-coms.
cuteventures??
Cutepolis??
maybe skip the “tro” in cuteTROpolis.. the greek word for city is “polis”. metropolis is a large city..
Cuteinc.?
Cute Share
Curated Cute or Curated Cuteness or Cute Curator
Cute Interpretation
Cute Collector
iHeartCute
Cute in Translation (play on movie Lost in Translation. You translate cuteness in a way that allows us to see new meaning)
Pursuit of Cute
Cuteness for All
Cute Catcher
Cute Control
Laughter is the Best Medicine. Spreading joy since 2015.
Ha! The Republic of Cute is a local small craft business here in the Cleveland area. I have some of their “cute”!
Yes. I feel we are all citizens of the People’s Republic of Cute.
Nimbus of Cute
Mike, it’s your site. You do with it as you like; we will love it. As long as you are you. A rose by any other name…
Being more of a suburb/semi-rural person, the cutetropolis is too city-centered (polis meaning a city-state, like in ancient Greece) for me. Also, in sense too limiting– there is a vast creation of cuteness out there, some we have yet to discover. Would you consider expanding your boundaries to include the entire CuteCosmos?
Cute Farm. Nom Tom is the Cute Farmer.
Sadly, “cutefarm.com” is already registered, so there’s no point in trying to adopt that as a new name.
Herein lies one of the sticky issues of trying to do business on the Internet: So much depends upon getting a domain name that’s clear and catchy, and that gets harder all the time.
Cool.
I still will think of you as a Cute Farmer. Nurturing laughter and sunshine from little kernels of cute.
CuteGarden
CuteEden
CuteOasis
CuteKernals
CuteCollective
CuteVille
CuteToCute
CuteIsland
CuteCentral
CuteNotCute
CuteCapture
CuterThanCute
I would prefer a simple, easy to type and pronounce title, but, this will catch on in time, and it is easier to recommend.
I agree with this point, Janice. A short catchy name, like Cutetropolis, is more easily remembered and easier to recommend. And I recommend this site a lot.
A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. I don’t care watcha call it, as long as we get the same witty narration, and even the “that’s not cute” and spambot posts are great.
CUTEtropolis. You can play with color or font to override peeps wanting to say or think Cutropolis/Qtropolis.
Yes, I had thought about that too. I think that would be effective.
sorry, I just couldn’t resist
My color sense is a Sears windbreaker from 1974. Yeah, that’s eerily accurate. ๐
Nontom: What ever you do, I’ll always visit and hope to keep commenting as well. Even if I reach the point that I don’t feel a part of the community, I will still watch. In fact, the only other site with which I have interacted was Stuff on my Cat. As with this site, I feel welcome to participate. I don’t see that changing just because of name or logo changes etc,, unless the site becomes such a big deal (like CO).
I am continually stimulated by your presentations and I learn from both your messages as well as the other commenters input. I don’t see that changing in the near future. Go for what ever makes you happy. You are making us happy and we’ll continue to support you in your efforts. MCO
Okay. My first suggestion got no support. How about notthatcutetheothercute? NTCTOC?
First thought: NOCTOC. So many ways THAT could go…
The name is hard to figure out pronunciation.The logo would work with a site for preschoolers,but is too minimal for adults.I do acknowledge the work you put into this effort.
Daft Cute?
Cute Off the Wall?
I’m just happy you have a site to read everyday!
I don’t know if its because I’m portuguese but I too find cutetropolis somewhat difficult to say..
not crazy in love with the logo either.
but this sure is difficult. the ones I thought of are all taken: pawsbreak, the meetingspot, cutefix.. Actually I like it that it’s mike centric.. Would like somthing like Mike’s place or something along the lines
How about: “I know right”?
MikeCentric
MikeMind MikeMine MindTheCute
MikeTropolis
Maybe it’s a MikeTropolis and in the city of Mike there are different destinations. Such as Cute, Not Cute, a Farm, a Zoo, a transportation hub where animals take the subway, politicians at city hall etc etc
Interesting…
Sorry I’m late to the party.
I don’t mind Cutetropolis but I understand the people that say it’s hard to pronounse. How about Cutetopia?
As for the logo, adding animals would be good but I would say stay simple and as for the colors, right now it’s very pastel. I’m saying that in case you may want to go into merchandising, T-Shirt and Tote bags, etc. (I’d buy one) Some adults may not want to walk around with a logo that looks like it for something for kindergaren age children. You have cute in the name you don’t have to have cute colors, I’m not saying dark just not only pastels.
Yeah, my color judgement is not great, which is why I plan to hire an artist to render a better logo.
Unfortunately, cutetopia.com is already registered, so I can’t use that.
I’m reading Shakespear’s life story at the moment, how about : Too cute or not too cute LOL!
I was lying in bed unable to sleep and I got to thinking about your logo. A word came to mind, not to include in the logo, but as a theme – and it’s “Cute Overlord” – I realize that it’s sort of an homage to Cute Overload and I don’t necessarily think it should be used, at least not in the logo itself, maybe to identify you as the main character. I think your first logo idea needs some changes. The idea of a Cutetropolis is good – but the cute has to overwhelm the Cutetropolis. That’s what you do, the cute is paramount. It’s a matter of visual scale. So, e.g., if you had the word with a towering cat, for instance, you would have two elements – the cute part, but the large scale takes away from the pure cuteness and allows for other sorts of zaniness. You could use some sort of Noir lettering giving you the Jessica Rabbit aspect, too. I really like Cutetropolis the more I think about it. I keep seeing enormous cute animals stomping through the streets (there’s an ad on TV right now of a cat doing just that)
Anyway, there’s my two cents for what it’s worth.
Well said. Great thoughts.
I think many of the ideas so far are on point.
-Easy name is good. (You decide pronouncation and make it known, maybe something like suggested CUTEtropolis, CuteTropolis…)
-Retouch logo for ease of recognition, readability, and use in merchandising.
-Leave a bit of wiggle room for ideas that don’t fit into a tight category. NotCute, A topic that comes up that needs to be addressed, but may not be cute. SpamBot.
NTMTOM, you are a good man. Thank you for this.
Come for the cute, stay for the funny.
?
Come for the Cute stay for the Snark.
Cheese it, the Snarks!?
Chiming in a little late…
I like Cutetropolis – I would just separate the words in some way, as others have suggested – color, font, upper/lower case, or a star or asterisk, etc: CuteTropolis, Cute*tropolis, etc.
I’m glad that you’re doing all your due diligence about ownership of the name – I’d hate to see you do all the work and then find it was already owned by a Taiwanese toy company or something! And I really, really love the way that we are being included in the process. I have great confidence in you.
For the logo – you know how cities and towns generally have a seal or emblem? I’d love that – round or badge-shaped, with the name around the edge, and an iconic picture in the middle (a smirking wombat, perhaps – something that captures the cuteness but also the off-kilter-ness). Or have the city buildings made of books or words – something to capture the level of wordplay. But I realize that’s too much to fit into a single logo.
For me, the pic that captures the spirit of NTMTOM.com is the “derping basset hound’ on the main page – I think he appeared on around Day 2 of this site’s existence. Goofy, exuberant, fearless, ears a-flapping.
Ok, that was long. Hope it helps!
I would love a t-shirt with an emblem of the city of CUTEtropolis. Then you could have a flag, motto, police force, business establishments that dispense different types of cute. Light cute, dark cute, not cute, off topic newspaper, Library of cute, CuteTropolis Museum.
The cinema is where you click on videos, the coffee house is where there is an open thread…
I like the way your mind works, Faye.
Thank you. I think of websites as real places.
And the bookstore where you can get the coffee table book.?
Yes!
I want to live in Cutetropolis!
And instead of Men of CO we could have Men of CT.
Well, whatever it will be named, I’ll be there with bells on as my mom always says. IMHO, what about cutespot.com (which is available by the way!) or based on his latest post something like thecutesquad.com or cutestsquad.com? Other thoughts – cutiepies.com, cutecentral.com (another one that’s available), cosmiccuteness.com.
How about:”uncle Mike’s funhouse of madness and despair”?
That works on a down day. Lol.
I say you call the joint Hamster Dog, and call it a day.
Hamster Dog Pub can be the name of the watering hole in CuteTropolis.
CUTEopolis
One thought I have – please don’t put it up for a vote!?
No voting. Input is nice. NTMTOM needs to be in charge. Or we’ll get Boaty McBoatface
Thank you for all of your comments and suggestions. Based upon the feedback, I’ve taken some steps that should alleviate concerns about the spelling of the site name that some people raised. Since everyone’s had a chance to share their views, I’m closing the comments thread, but I’ll open a new thread for Q&A just before any major changes take place.