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Boaty McBoatface: What You Get When You Let the Internet Decide

J

Jayjay

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An accurate worldview or philosophy
New York Times:
A proposal by a British government agency to let the Internet suggest a name for a $287 million polar research ship probably seemed like a good idea at the time.

Now, the agency is the latest group to see what happens when web users are asked to unleash their creative energy: R.R.S. Boaty McBoatface is a clear front-runner.
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:laughing-smiley-014
 
I like that they tried to name a garbage service after Fred Durst.

I so should have used this method to name my kids.
 
This is some funny shit. My local radio station was talking about this this morning. These "let the people online name it" contests have been around awhile, but nobody learns their lesson about trolls. Apparently, there was a similar situation a few years ago where the "most voted name" for a new plane/boat/whatever was something like, "Hitler had some good points".

Time magazine had an online poll to decide which overused and annoying words should be banned. Oops:

http://time.com/3576870/worst-words-poll-2014/

Editor’s Note:

TIME apologizes for the execution of this poll; the word ‘feminist’ should not have been included in a list of words to ban. While we meant to invite debate about some ways the word was used this year, that nuance was lost, and we regret that its inclusion has become a distraction from the important debate over equality and justice.
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ETA: I just clicked a link on the OP article. Actually it was "Hitler did nothing wrong" and it was for a new Mountain Dew flavor:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/13/4chan-mountain-dew_n_1773076.html
 
thebeave said:
This is some funny shit. My local radio station was talking about this this morning. These "let the people online name it" contests have been around awhile, but nobody learns their lesson about trolls. Apparently, there was a similar situation a few years ago where the "most voted name" for a new plane/boat/whatever was something like, "Hitler had some good points".
Click to expand...

That was suggested by Trump, and he was serious.
 
thebeave said:
This is some funny shit. My local radio station was talking about this this morning. These "let the people online name it" contests have been around awhile, but nobody learns their lesson about trolls. Apparently, there was a similar situation a few years ago where the "most voted name" for a new plane/boat/whatever was something like, "Hitler had some good points".

Time magazine had an online poll to decide which overused and annoying words should be banned. Oops:

http://time.com/3576870/worst-words-poll-2014/

Editor’s Note:

TIME apologizes for the execution of this poll; the word ‘feminist’ should not have been included in a list of words to ban. While we meant to invite debate about some ways the word was used this year, that nuance was lost, and we regret that its inclusion has become a distraction from the important debate over equality and justice.
Click to expand...

ETA: I just clicked a link on the OP article. Actually it was "Hitler did nothing wrong" and it was for a new Mountain Dew flavor:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/13/4chan-mountain-dew_n_1773076.html
Click to expand...
Oh. That must have been from Microsoft's "AI teenager", before they pulled the plug. Somebody has a lot of 'splainin' to do.

http://money.cnn.com/2016/03/24/technology/tay-racist-microsoft/index.html

Internet trolls, who would have expected that?
 
One of my favorite google topics: back in '11, Fort Wayne, Indiana, put the naming of a new government center to a vote (actually, a write-in of some sort.) A popular former mayor named Harry Baals was suggested, and his name took off like wildfire, for reasons having little to do with his actual career. He became the clear front runner, but, no, you will not find the Harry Baals Center in Fort Wayne. This is clearly a pity and a denial of basic democratic process. Fort Wayne lost a real opportunity here. The sheer variety of possible headlines is staggering: Feminist Group Pickets Harry Baals....Porn Decision Expected at Harry Baals...Hillary Welcomed at...you get the drift.
 
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