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Boaty McBoatface and the False Promise of Democracy

theatlantic.com

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Re: Boaty McBoatface and the False Promise of Democracy

#171

Post by JBReefer »

AdmiralAsshat wrote: post #151
gryphonshafer wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This happens with airports a lot. Some really wonderful and generous old pilot or aviation engineer dies, so the field gets renamed in honor of the person. But aviators still refer to the field by it's traditional name. It's not a slight against the honored dead; rather, it's just out of habit and the fact that it's tremendously easier to remember "$CITY_NAME Airport" than it is "$GUY_WHO_DIED Field".

Speaking of airports, I know of several people who outright refuse to refer to Washington National Airport by its current name, "Ronald Regan Washington National Airport". They will go so far as to correct someone who says "Regan National" and insist, "Washington National."

Part of it is that it was named after him while he was still alive, and part of it is that DC is very, very blue.

Re: Boaty McBoatface and the False Promise of Democracy

#172

Post by hartpuff »

pbhjpbhj wrote: post #159
hartpuff wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it just $300 million scientific research vessels that should be given deliberately stupid names (that even the originator disowns), or everything?

When you allow the public to chose a name for a research vessel, it's inoffensive, popular and creates more media coverage (arguably the goal of having the vote) then no matter how whimsical you think the name is you should stick with it. If you don't want whimsy, don't ask the British public to name your ship. No one forced them in to the situation. FWIW I don't find the name stupid, one person's humour is another's…

I agree that it's totally stupid to use online voting, that is just asking to be hijacked, and I almost believe that they should have to eat the result as a punishment. Almost.

Hopefully it's a lesson for them not to ask The Internet its opinion again.

Re: Boaty McBoatface and the False Promise of Democracy

#173

Post by TallGuyShort »

szerated wrote: post #129

Really, really over the top with the drama here... This is a crowd sourced name where people didn't take it seriously. This has happened countless other times with Internet polls. Not everything is a statement about democracy...

I'd say it's the executive who doesn't take the vote seriously.

Re: Boaty McBoatface and the False Promise of Democracy

#174

Post by JBReefer »

KON_Air wrote: post #124
dalke wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For that matter, most countries are smaller than the US, both in size and population. There are only two countries with a larger population. China has one ruling political party, and India has had prime ministers from many different parties. For a full accounting, look back to the rise of the two party system during the Jacksonian era, or the current system of Democrats and Republicans (replacing the Whig party) star…

I am always mystified by how a country with such diverse geography and socioeconomics can be represented by just two parties.

The parties are more varied by state than you'd expect - for example, the GOP in New York State tends to be pro-transit, while the DNC in Wisconsin still loves to build huge highways through minority neighborhoods.

Re: Boaty McBoatface and the False Promise of Democracy

#175

Post by noobie »

joshvm wrote: post #27
mrob wrote: post #2

The solution is simple. Continue calling the boat Boaty McBoatface. Ignore all references to the government's preferred name. They can choose what's painted on the side, but the name depends only on what people call it. If enough people call it Boaty McBoatface its name really is Boaty McBoatface. If your job depends on calling it the government's preferred name then subtly alter the timing of your speech to make it…

This will probably happen anyway. Research ships are manned by researchers (usually of the non-bureaucratic variety) and in my experience are game for a laugh. Regardless of what it gets officially named, this ship will almost certainly be unofficially referred to as Boaty McBoatface by its crew. (And as another commenter who is familiar with the project internals pointed out - they already do call it McBoatface)

>this ship will almost certainly be unofficially referred to as Boaty McBoatface by its crew.

Except for the captain.

Re: Boaty McBoatface and the False Promise of Democracy

#176

Post by lettergram »

chollida1 wrote: post #111
mrob wrote: post #2

The solution is simple. Continue calling the boat Boaty McBoatface. Ignore all references to the government's preferred name. They can choose what's painted on the side, but the name depends only on what people call it. If enough people call it Boaty McBoatface its name really is Boaty McBoatface. If your job depends on calling it the government's preferred name then subtly alter the timing of your speech to make it…

> The solution is simple. Continue calling the boat Boaty McBoatface. Ignore all references to the government's preferred name. This is good advice. In Toronto we have a baseball stadium called the Rogers Center ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogers_Centre ). It was originally called the SkyDome but it was bought by a company called Rogers and renamed. Everyone still refers to it as the Skydome. Corporate branding b…

Happened to the largest building in Chicago too, it's supposed to be called "Willis Tower", but I've only ever heard "Sears Tower".

Re: Boaty McBoatface and the False Promise of Democracy

#177

Post by icebraining »

vidarh wrote: post #147
icebraining wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, serious new Royal Navy boats need serious names, like its predecessors HMS Speedy, HMS Child's Play, HMS Happy Entrance, HMS Arrogant (later renamed HMS Insolent)...

Makes me wonder if any of these were part of the inspiration for Iain M. Banks ship names.

Very probably, as his father was an officer in the Royal Navy, and he grew up near the naval dockyards :)

Re: Boaty McBoatface and the False Promise of Democracy

#178

Post by Grishnakh »

scurvy wrote: post #157
gryphonshafer wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This happens with airports a lot. Some really wonderful and generous old pilot or aviation engineer dies, so the field gets renamed in honor of the person. But aviators still refer to the field by it's traditional name. It's not a slight against the honored dead; rather, it's just out of habit and the fact that it's tremendously easier to remember "$CITY_NAME Airport" than it is "$GUY_WHO_DIED Field".

Definitely. Ever wonder why New Orleans' airport has the symbol MSY, but is named Louis Armstrong airport? MSY stands for Moisant Stock Yards, in honor of early aviator John Moisant. Im recent years, the city renamed the airport to Louis Armstrong airport, but no one in the city refers to it as that. Everyone still calls it Moisant. Not that we don't like Louis Armstrong, it's always been called Moisant and New Orlea…

I always wondered why that airport was called MSY.

However, I can think of one counterexample: JFK airport in NYC. It used to be called Idlewild, named after some golf course I think, but was renamed to JFK (with the airport code JFK) back in the 60s. No one knows what "Idlewild" is any more.

Re: Boaty McBoatface and the False Promise of Democracy

#180

Post by talmand »

mrob wrote: post #2

The solution is simple. Continue calling the boat Boaty McBoatface. Ignore all references to the government's preferred name. They can choose what's painted on the side, but the name depends only on what people call it. If enough people call it Boaty McBoatface its name really is Boaty McBoatface. If your job depends on calling it the government's preferred name then subtly alter the timing of your speech to make it…

That wouldn't make it the name, that would make it the nickname.
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