monkkee.com: What Is Behind the Name of the New Online Diary

We started searching for a name for the online diary monkkee after the basic concept of the application had already been established. “monkkee” did not come to us immediately, of course. At first, we considered simpler names such as “My Secret Diary” or “Online Diary”, but those names were already taken.

We definitely wanted a suitable domain name, so our naming process was guided by which addresses were still available. Anyone who has ever done such a search knows exactly what we mean. Every name that comes to mind spontaneously is already taken. Not only the obvious examples, but also thousands of invented compound words and even completely nonsensical letter combinations are unavailable: bananadiary.com -> taken, smashing your fist onto the keyboard (e.g. hnhg.com) -> taken. In many cases, “taken” means that the addresses are not being used meaningfully, but are instead reserved by domain traders and sold to interested buyers (sometimes at very high prices). We definitely wanted a free address and to avoid those costs.

The first name idea we had was diaridoo, a play on the words diary and didgeridoo. However, during the development period, another online diary was launched under the name Diarydoo. To avoid conflicts with Diarydoo, as well as confusion among users, we abandoned the idea and started the naming process all over again.

Eventually, we came up with monkkee. How did that happen? We are animal lovers, and I especially like monkeys. But with monkkee, we also created a wordplay combining monkey, monk (= monk), and kee (~key). All of these components ultimately carry a deeper meaning.

Both monkey and monk refer to the concept of the monkey mind. In Buddhist terminology, the monkey mind describes the restless, moody, and overactive mind that jumps from branch to branch like a monkey. Everyone probably recognizes examples of the monkey mind from everyday life: being unable to switch off after work, having 10 things on your mind at once, or creating problems where there really are none. Well-known ways to calm the mind and improve focus include meditation and yoga. With monkkee, we also want to make a small contribution. Writing a diary with monkkee is intended to help people process and organize their thoughts.

The word component key stands for our encryption technology. When using monkkee, entries are encrypted directly on the user’s computer. With this special focus on security, monkkee distinguishes itself from its competitors.