Question The name of this forum

J

Jehudah Design

Well-Known Member
I know the previous URL therpf.com got stolen by some damn hacker and that the guys controlling this place wanted it to be known as simply The RPF...

But I wonder WHY?

Whats the point in removing any reference to what RPF stands for and only using that acronym as the name of the forum when it still stands for The Replica Prop Forum? Now you already got the new URL with the full name, so in any case that you won't get the old one back, why not call the forum the full name again? How the fudge are new members supposed to know what RPF stands for anyway? Are they supposed to guess what this forum is about? Really pretty females? Red peacock feathers? Random person's feet? Or what?

Just thought I'd ask the reason before renaming my website to DSSL and watching T2JD while making a WSFZWCD.
 
Interesting that you brought this up as we have been talking about this very thing, so let me give you a couple of my personal thoughts...

We have been known as "The Replica Prop Forum" for a great many years (although we haven't always been known by that name). At the end of 2006, the RPF moved to therpf.com and has been there ever since and most people refer to the site as "the RPF" as opposed to saying the full name.

When I came in around the end of 2009, I looked at the site, where it has been and where it is going, and what I see is that "Replica Prop Forum" really doesn't properly describe us any longer. While I am a little hesitant to make the connection, it is similar to Kentucky Fried Chicken changing their name to KFC in order to downplay the word "fried." We no longer only pander to replicas. We no longer only pander to props. Pretty soon we will no longer only be a forum. What does that mean? As I said earlier, "Replica Prop Forum" doesn't really describe us any longer. From the end of 2009 on, you have seen an active and conscious push by the staff to go from referring to us as "The Replica Prop Forum" to "the RPF." Even when we remade the logo, we purposefully went with "RPF." Honestly, if I could do it without being tarred and feathered, we would change the site name all-together... but after the whole Junkyard-Marketplace fiasco, I haven't pushed it. We use the RPF because we feel that The Replica Prop Forum doesn't appropriately describe us and we don't want the name to box us in any more than necessary.

Fast-forward to the hacking incident. We fully expect to get therpf.com back and when we do, we will move back to that URL. I absolutely HATE being at therpf.com. Not only is it painfully long (23 characters) but it just reinforces an outdated description of who we are. IF, by a lack of cooperation from the Russian registrar, we don't get therpf.com back, we will NOT be staying at the current URL and we will rename the site as a whole to something that better suits the thriving community we have become. It would be painful, but it would be better than staying at the current url.

Anyway, hopefully that answers your question as to why we tend to shy away from the full name.



Dark Side Sith Lord said:
I know the previous URL therpf.com got stolen by some damn hacker and that the guys controlling this place wanted it to be known as simply The RPF...

But I wonder WHY?

Whats the point in removing any reference to what RPF stands for and only using that acronym as the name of the forum when it still stands for The Replica Prop Forum? Now you already got the new URL with the full name, so in any case that you won't get the old one back, why not call the forum the full name again? How the fudge are new members supposed to know what RPF stands for anyway? Are they supposed to guess what this forum is about? Really pretty females? Red peacock feathers? Random person's feet? Or what?

Just thought I'd ask the reason before renaming my website to DSSL and watching T2JD while making a WSFZWCD.
Click to expand...
 
What's with other TLD's? "therpf.org" and "therpf.info" are still free.

My question is: after the forum has been given another main domain, will it still be accessible under "therpf.com"? I'm asking, because I always use permanent links to attached image files to let them be visible in full size. Example: if you delete "therpf.com", the following image will still be available as attached file, but no longer visible in full size.

attachment.php
 
Art Andrews said:
IF, by a lack of cooperation from the Russian registrar, we don't get therpf.com back, we will NOT be staying at the current URL and we will rename the site as a whole to something that better suits the thriving community we have become.
Click to expand...

Oh boy, you're asking for that Wolverine rage to be turned on you guys! :confused
 
We would do 301 redirects, which we are going to have to do pretty much no matter what, even if we get therpf.com back.

Roland said:
What's with other TLD's? "therpf.org" and "therpf.info" are still free.

My question is: after the forum has been given another main domain, will it still be accessible under "therpf.com"? I'm asking, because I always use permanent links to attached image files to let them be visible in full size. Example: if you delete "therpf.com", the following image will still be available as attached file, but no longer visible in full size.

attachment.php
Click to expand...
 
We are more than a site or a name. We're a community and as long as we stay a community of like minded individuals, then I couldn't care less what we are called. Just my two cents. :thumbsup

Art Andrews said:
Hahahaha... we'll cross that bridge if we get there. My hope is that it is a non-issue because we simply get the old domain back and that is that.
Click to expand...
 
ONEYE said:
Curious. What does appropriately describe us if RPF doesn't?
Click to expand...

I wish I had an answer for that.

Replica props are still the majority of what this site is about... no arguments there. I am not trying to shy away from the fact that it is the core and largest category... however, we are MORE than just props. While it isn't an appealing term, we have become more of a movie memorabilia site, which includes costumes, models, screen used props, etc. Since the introduction of licensees, we have also become as much of a collector site as a builder site. I know a lot of people don't like that fact, but like it or not, it is true.

The term "prop" could be considered to encompass the bulk of what we do (as some consider ANYTHING used in a movie to fall under the term "prop") so I would think that any name would almost certainly have to incllude prop, but I'd love to see replica and forum go away, possibly being replaced by something else as those terms are very limiting while it seems this community is virtually without limits, within our niche.

The other issue becomes one of technicality and SEO... therpf.com is 10 characters... pretty short for a domain name, but not as short as I would like (I am currently working on getting a 5 character domain name for myself!). It is tough to get an available and meaningful domain name that isn't less than 10 characters...
 
Thanks. I wish I could come up with something smart, cool and unique that would work. Maybe a contest could help you?

Memorabilia Creators Collectors

It's tough to come up with something.
 
Idaho Jones said:
Are you guys covered for other name variants, to keep away domain squatters?
Click to expand...

To a small degree. We have multiple other names registered if something were to happen (which is why we were able to switch over to this current url in so short a time). There is a lot of debate on whether or not to try to get every variant of your name. Up until this event we didn't even have therpf.net (a member picked it up and generously turned it over to us) because we haven't seen the need to do so. You could cost yourself thousands of dollars and drive yourself batty trying to cover all the name variations. What we have done instead is purchase multiple similar names that we could fall back to in a time of crisis.
 
ONEYE said:
Thanks. I wish I could come up with something smart, cool and unique that would work. Maybe a contest could help you?

Memorabilia Creators Collectors

It's tough to come up with something.
Click to expand...

I have been racking my brain for 2 years on this and have never come up with anything that met all the criteria I wanted. To be quite honest, the issue with a contest is that if someone did come up with the PERFECT name, some opportunist would run out and snag the domain and then try to sell it to us at an inflated price... I have seen it happen over and over again. The only contest we could do like that would be to do a private entry type contest.
 
Art Andrews said:
I have been racking my brain for 2 years on this and have never come up with anything that met all the criteria I wanted. To be quite honest, the issue with a contest is that if someone did come up with the PERFECT name, some opportunist would run out and snag the domain and then try to sell it to us at an inflated price... I have seen it happen over and over again. The only contest we could do like that would be to do a private entry type contest.
Click to expand...

Submissions via super secret PMs.

I don't think perfect names exist, and of course, you will always have those 10% that don't like it.

You could go the other way and pick something that will tick off everyone, or one that makes absolutely no sense at all.

;)
 
Art Andrews said:
While it isn't an appealing term, we have become more of a movie memorabilia site, which includes costumes, models, screen used props, etc. Since the introduction of licensees, we have also become as much of a collector site as a builder site.
Click to expand...


You are quite right. The 'title' to my collection page on my website is "Movie Memorabilia", not prop replicas.

I collect anything that is in some way connected to a movie I like, be it a physical prop (1:1 or scaled, it doesn't make a difference to me personally), a model or whatever.

Heck, if a prop replica doesn't exist or I can't make it, I'll print a screencap of it & frame it :lol
 
This thread is more than 12 years old.

Your message may be considered spam for the following reasons:

  1. This thread hasn't been active in some time. A new post in this thread might not contribute constructively to this discussion after so long.
If you wish to reply despite these issues, check the box below before replying.
Be aware that malicious compliance may result in more severe penalties.

Similar threads

JoshuaV
Question Prop ID General Forum
Replies
2
Views
924
JoshuaV
JoshuaV
Art Andrews
Announcement Merger of Predatorium / The Hunter's Lair
Replies
3
Views
2,218
Too Much Garlic
Too Much Garlic
TomVDJ
Looking for a member, but I only have his e-mail and real name.
Replies
2
Views
700
TomVDJ
TomVDJ
ArcSpectator
Question In order to sell an item(prop, etc), what exactly is required in this site do so?
Replies
5
Views
1,064
Jintosh
Jintosh
Art Andrews
Predatorium Future of Predatorium
Replies
1
Views
840
Wreav
Wreav
Back
Top