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Ask HN: I've been asked if I'd like to give up my GitHub name

10 points by cubicle67 ↗ HN
I've a two letter github name and I've just been contacted by a company asking (nicely) if I'd be interested in transferring ownership of this name to them. Is there any convention around this, eg is it expected I'd ask for money?

14 comments

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Uhhrrr
There probably isn't convention around this, since GitHub is relatively new. But yeah, ask for money!
JakDrako
Please let the name be "fu".
cubicle67
no, it's nothing clever, just my initials. Also happens to be the same as the initials of the company in question
desktopisch
of course ask for money. use domain name market as ref. take your two letter domain name price -- and ask for some fraction of that for you gh name -- by the logic that github is one of x number of important web presences for a company.
duncan_bayne
Definitely ask for money, if it's a for-profit company wanting the username.
brador
Don't ask for money directly. It might be a setup for a trademark claim.
cubicle67
How? It's only two letters, so it would be like YCombinator making a trademark claim on yc

I agree on not asking for money directly though

brador
There are many 2 letter trademarks.

It's not 100%, just a possible risk to be aware of.

27182818284
KFC is three letters and a trademark. It is a trademark not a "complete sentence mark"
kjksf
Whether you ask for money or not is up to you, but as a matter of protocol, your github account is your property as much as the shoes you're wearing.

If someone else wants it, you're not at all obligated to give it to them.

If you do entertain the idea of giving it to them, you're very much entitled to compensation.

brudgers
Do you want to give it up? If not, then decline, nicely. Sure maybe there is a price that changes your mind, but right now there's no offer on the table, so leave it off the table. In my opinion, there are a couple of things to keep in mind:

1. The "person" who wants the name is a fictitious person, not an actual human individual who deserves consideration as a human being. There's no point of "being cool" toward a company, it's just out to get what it can: asking for your username is just an example of the ruthless logic under which company's operate.

2. The value to the company is high enough that they have invested time in approaching you and should you decide to give up your name, will invest all the time in actually transferring it.

3. If you do transfer it, don't be surprised if the company sells it or does something equally unexpected. Acquiring the name is a business transaction. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Finally, if you don't care about the name and don't want to be bothered, then let it go so you can do something you care about and are willing to be bothered by.

Good luck.

loumf
Check the GH terms of service. They actually own the URL and might not allow selling it. For example, Twitter frowns upon this.

If you offer a price, the company could send that email to GH as evidence that your account violates the ToS.