G-d?

Why is it that I sometimes see people write god as g-d? I know there is some thing about not writing god?s name, but g-d is a name as well – I mean assumably gods name wasn?t in english, so its some translation anyway, god is not some literal name handed down in an eveolpe from the heavens. God is just some english translation of some other name, so g-d is just as much a translation. It makes no sense at all.