I started doing birmingham-alive! way back in 1998 – for the first six months it was just a page on my main personal website, and then when I realised it had potential I spun it off onto its own website, registering the domain birmingham-alive.com; back then domain registration wasn’t nearly as easy, cheap, and straightforward as it is now, so – in retrospect rather stupidly – I didn’t bother also registering the .org, .org.uk, and .co.uk variants of the name.

Sure enough, a year later birmingham-alive.co.uk appeared, run by somebody in Kings Heath, on what perhaps was one of the worst examples of website design and content around at the time. Worse still, they had the temerity to a few weeks later put a note on their home page a comment about them being “the original and best – beware of imitations”! For a few years I had the problem of when talking to people about my own site having to explain in tedious detail to be careful when going to my site not to be confused by the other site with the same name; I never had any commercial intentions with my site, but when talking to concert promoters trying to get press tickets for events, it does risk undermining one’s credibility if they go and look at the wrong site!

Fortunately they eventually realised somehow that the naming confusion was as bad for them as it was for me and changed the name of their site (whilst keeping the domain), but it was still mightily irritating.

And I still to a certain extent have the same problem with another much more recently started site – a similar name, but with just one letter missing.

My business depends on consistency to maintain its good standing, and the confusion that my clients have when searching for editorial girl is a problem. I did not establish my company in spite of your established effort. I applied for a business license and the trademark and was granted both. Please stop trying to trash me as if I had done something specifically to abuse you. I would rather not pursue this further.

Like Rick Sherle said above, “Unless the two company’s business strategies are to deliver services to a global market, then your real enemies are ignorance, penny-pinching, and a male-dominated economy.” I would like to think that this can be peacefully resolved and that you can continue to do your business and I mine, and if you want some content strategy work, contact me.

Do you think this is why the web is now full of list style articles because people are craving instant gratification?

It doesn’t seem to me (correct me if I’m wrong please!) that FB have stated categorically what the offence was and given her the opportunity to refute it. In fact, if that quote is correct, that a violation of rules happens “when a username conflicts with a (Facebook) page of the same name”, it is the NEW person who is in violation, as there was already a Facebook page called Editorial Girl when they requested the username.

Anyway. That’s my tuppence-worth. I do have two cents here if anybody prefers them to Sterling. ;->

G.

Whom ever provides superior editing services will be
“THE EditorialGirl!”

Having been educated in the UK but living in the USA, I prefer the weather,the language is quite similar albeit with some subtle historical differences in color & flavour.
Nonetheless the world is big enough for two Editorial Girls probably Editorial Women;-)