Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

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

nytimes.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 150 posts

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

#41

Post by NickNameNick »

manuelflara wrote: post #8
KineticLensman wrote: post #2

To be clear, the U.K. Govt website [1] allows people to submit suggestions, and the NERC are not obliged to use the highest ranking suggestion. Although personally I liked 'what iceberg' as a name Edit: added link [1] http://www.nerc.ac.uk/press/releases/2016/10-ship-naming/

There were actually some hilarious suggestions on Reddit (not sure if they're all actual submissions) like Usain Boat, Ice Ice Baby, Boatimus Prime, Notitanic, Boats by Dre or Pier Pressure.

The company that does the maintenance on the waterfront and harbour near where I live has a small barge called Pier Pressure.

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

#42

Post by chris_wot »

TheOtherHobbes wrote: post #4
noir_lord wrote: post #3

They should run with it, the positive PR now and in the future when the RSS Boaty McBoatface docks would be worth it. It would also show a sense of humour and make it something fun.

Totally this. And it would be brilliant for kids.

How do you think I found out about this? My 8 year old daughter bounded up to me and said "Dad, you won't believe this amazing thing! Guess what they called a boat!" (and I thought "what? oh alright, I'll go along with it") and I said "I don't know sweety, what did they call it?" - to which she took a deep breath and said "Boaty McBoatface!" and burst into laughter.

Now at the time I thought it was just a silly kid's story. Then I went to the BBC...

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

#44

Post by imron »

coderdude wrote: post #17

They should just admit that Boaty McBoatface is a stupid name, that asking "the Internet" to decide was a stupid idea, and quickly bury this idea behind them. At least it would set a precedent. I can't ever remember anything like this turning into something cool or favorable. I know it was for the publicity. It worked, so good for that boat-line.

It didn't work well enough if you think it's a boat-line doing this.

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

#45

Post by chrisseaton »

arethuza wrote: post #39
spacecowboy_lon wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well for one She is a Ship not a Boat - and Maritime types get quite upset if you refer to their ship as a boat. (think Pissed off Gibbs from NCIS) I did like that "Forward Unto Dawn" (the ship in halo) was 4th at one point

The chaps from the Special Boat Service might disagree with you on that point! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Boat_Service

I don't think so - their name refers to the small boats and canoes they originally operated from.

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

#46

Post by chris_wot »

arethuza wrote: post #39
spacecowboy_lon wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well for one She is a Ship not a Boat - and Maritime types get quite upset if you refer to their ship as a boat. (think Pissed off Gibbs from NCIS) I did like that "Forward Unto Dawn" (the ship in halo) was 4th at one point

The chaps from the Special Boat Service might disagree with you on that point! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Boat_Service

Yes, a "special" boat much like the Special Olympics.

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

#47

Post by chris_wot »

fsdafsadafsd wrote: post #11
ck2 wrote: post #9

Well just give people a vote but secure veto rights so you can pick from a runner-up. Not that complicated. Crowdsourcing can be wonderful but it does have its pitfalls for the lowest common denominator.

tips fedora

And there's another one - Red Hat. I mean, one of the top IT companies in the world, and it's named after a fedora.

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

#48

Post by Pxtl »

bitwize wrote: post #5

This is 2016's "Mr. Splashy Pants".

Which shows the right way to do this: don't provide a free form text field, and give one really silly option that you can live with. The internet piled into the silly option and created a massive public awareness swarm for their cause.
Post reply on HN