• by November 18, 2004

Readers responded enthusiastically last week after the Minute's request for ideas to name Microsoft's search engine something other than, well, MSN Search.

BJ Cook, a search engine marketing strategist at Interactivate suggested "SNurch," a send up of "Lurch" from the Adams Family, "Snetch," or "Snooch."

Matt Debes, a senior sales planner at AOL, took a more obvious route with "Microscope," "Peeping Bill," (which he says is like a "Windows Searcher"), and "Searchsoft."

From our friend Jay Mitchell in Canada, we have "MeSearchN" or "Moogle." And there were more ideas, including:

"The Gateway," aka, the "TERMinator."

"My Search Ngine"

"Microsearch"

Call MSN Search "WiderSearch," a reader suggests, then dub the service "WIDER" to stand for the five key areas Microsoft addresses: Web, Internet, Desktop, E-mail, and Region.

"Fly," offers another reader, who notes that MSN could use its butterfly icon to illustrate the engine's flying to the information surfers are looking for. "MicroSearch"

Nan Forte suggests "MeSseNger," which gives searchers the idea of information requested and a response provided. It reflects the sent (search term) and received (page results), and plays on the Microsoft acronym, is succinct and memorable. But wait a minute. I have just one question. Does Microsoft even need a name for MSN Search? Today the company announced it will extend an agreement with Yahoo! under which Yahoo! places ads on the MSN network. The contract, extended for one year, is a bit surprising since Microsoft has been laboring on its search engine technology, including ad placement technology for a while now. But Rome wasn't built in a day, so Microsoft will continue to use Yahoo! as a vendor, even as it wages a hard-nosed competitive battle for market - and mindshare.