Slate v/s Salon

I love reading off the web and Slate and Salon are names of my two favourite general interest websites. I love the writers that contribute to these websites. I find the views aired by them unusual without being pointlessly radical. I also like both the names. The question of relevance here is, which of the two names is better? Tough call, which is what makes it even more fun to try and take a call.

Both Salon and Slate are short and sweet. Both Salon and Slate have a nice set of alternating vowel and consonant sounds that make them easy to pronounce. And both websites have memorable stories on offer. So what makes Slate a better name?

For starters, it's the 't' in Slate that will make it an easier name to remember. 'N' is a soft sound. The rule of thumb is that if a name ends with a soft sound, it will be less memorable than one which ends in a stronger consonant sound. What else does Slate have going for it?

It has a more vivid imagery. Most people will find it easier to put a picture to Slate than Salon. A Salon, for the schooled, is a living room. (A salon for the unschooled is little more than a hard-to-pronounce word.) A living room is a harder image to remember because it has more complex associations and elements. A slate on the other hand, for the schooled and the unschooled, is a simple black board. (Which is closer to writing and reading than a living room is.)

The proof of the pudding would, of course, be in the checking. Expose Slate and Salon to people who've never heard of them and you'll see that Slate will be the name that will be easier remembered.