

Ask HN: I've been asked if I'd like to give up my GitHub name - cubicle67

I&#x27;ve a two letter github name and I&#x27;ve just been contacted by a company asking (nicely) if I&#x27;d be interested in transferring ownership of this name to them. Is there any convention around this, eg is it expected I&#x27;d ask for money?
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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.

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archimedespi
> Attempts to sell, buy, or solicit other forms of payment in exchange for
> account names are prohibited and may result in permanent account suspension.

[https://help.github.com/articles/name-squatting-
policy/](https://help.github.com/articles/name-squatting-policy/)

~~~
Raed667
He could "suggest" it in indirect language and get them to say it first.

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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.

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Uhhrrr
There probably isn't convention around this, since GitHub is relatively new.
But yeah, ask for money!

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

~~~
27182818284
KFC is three letters and a trademark. It is a trademark not a "complete
sentence mark"

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duncan_bayne
Definitely ask for money, if it's a for-profit company wanting the username.

