Hacker News Reader

Comment by minimaxir | Hacker News Reader

I'm a little surprised at the choice of "Pool" instead of more conventional terms in the sharing economy such as "UberShare" or "UberContribute." I was very disappointed that UberPool isn't a swimming-pool-as-a-service.

View on HN

It's a play on the word Carpool and seems apt to me. The Uber brand name is already synonymous with sharing as you share the car with the driver and whoever is with you and they need to distinguish this separately. I also thought it was something to do with bringing you to a swimming pool like UberCats.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpool

he was joking

I was actually hoping it was a summer promotion for Uber, mobile-pool-as-a-service.

http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111219033328/simpsons/i...

You joke, but I was sure this was going to be some kind of promotion involving swimming pools, like with their cupcakes, kittens, and weddings.

My immediate thought was that they'd show up with a pool table on a truck. I think that would fit in perfectly with their other promotions.

FWIW, I immediately guessed what it was going to be, just from reading the name. I would not have had the same reaction (I don't think) to your suggestions.

So I like it. I think the mentions about it triggering an association to car-pool are spot on.

I agree. My immediate thought was something more akin to 'motor pool'. Maybe a way to pre-buy a group of rides at the same time or to the same place, such as getting friends to/from a party, for a discount.

Or perhaps it could have been a service where Uber had their own fleet of 'special' drivers for 'premium' members to help with peak demand times. Of course, this sounds quite a bit like a traditional contracted car service.

UberShare seems more fitting to me. Having read what it is the name makes sense, but it didn't inform me going in.

OMG swimming-pool-as-a-service. You are a genius.

I am going to be so rich. Thank you!

I also thought this was another Summer gimmick like the ice cream.

"Uber" is already a pretty non-descriptive brand name, I think they prefer catchy-ness to descriptive branding.

Here in Queenstown, NZ there's spa (jacuzzi) as a service.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com