FARK.com: (6825307) So... just why did Apple name their new digital assistant Siri? A baby name expert has the answers

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		So... just why did Apple name their new digital assistant Siri? A baby name expert has the answers (slate.com)		86
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86 Comments (+0 »)

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Steve Zodiac

2011-12-18 01:12:33 AM

I thought the reason was that Apple bought a company to get the rights to the software, and that company had named the product Siri. So Apple didn't name it Siri, they just didn't rename it to something else when they bought the voice recognition company.

Bucky Katt

2011-12-18 02:35:51 AM

maybe they should have called it Granny Smith

Bad_Seed

2011-12-18 08:52:18 AM

For the same reason that Apple invented the mouse and the mp3 player.

hew_r

2011-12-18 08:54:35 AM

Iris backwards

RexTalionis

2011-12-18 08:59:04 AM

Eerily Familiar

2011-12-18 08:59:08 AM

Steve Zodiac: I thought the reason was that Apple bought a company to get the rights to the software, and that company had named the product Siri. So Apple didn't name it Siri, they just didn't rename it to something else when they bought the voice recognition company.

The company was in fact called Siri, and to take it back one further step, the company Siri was named that because the software is a spin-out of SRI International. Big fail on part of the article writer and Slate's editors. One little trip to Wikipedia or a few minutes googling, and they could have saved lots of embarrassment. They could just as easily rewritten the article as describing why Apple kept the name Siri.

drink me

2011-12-18 08:59:50 AM

Or, it could be that it's just Iris backwards, who happens to be messenger of the (Greek) gods. Siri is messenger to us mere mortals.

susler

2011-12-18 09:02:13 AM

I suppose it's impossible that Wikipedia could be less than 100% accurate about something.

InfrasonicTom

2011-12-18 09:05:30 AM

drink me: Or, it could be that it's just Iris backwards, who happens to be messenger of the (Greek) gods. Siri is messenger to us mere mortals.

No, it's because it's Silly is Japanese

Happy Hours

2011-12-18 09:05:44 AM

There are "baby name experts"? Can you make a living at that?

Flint Ironstag

2011-12-18 09:07:01 AM

Eerily Familiar: Steve Zodiac: I thought the reason was that Apple bought a company to get the rights to the software, and that company had named the product Siri. So Apple didn't name it Siri, they just didn't rename it to something else when they bought the voice recognition company.

The company was in fact called Siri, and to take it back one further step, the company Siri was named that because the software is a spin-out of SRI International. Big fail on part of the article writer and Slate's editors. One little trip to Wikipedia or a few minutes googling, and they could have saved lots of embarrassment. They could just as easily rewritten the article as describing why Apple kept the name Siri.

That's what I thought as I was reading the article. The author may have a point, but their lack of basic research hurts their credibility.

BikerRay

2011-12-18 09:10:39 AM

Why so Siri-ous?

Reverend Monkeypants

2011-12-18 09:17:00 AM

moothemagiccow

2011-12-18 09:19:41 AM

Wasnt already trademarked

chaddsfarkprefect

2011-12-18 09:30:47 AM

I thought Siri was an Indian name which struck me as ironic since Americans are always complaining about outsourcing customer service to India.

poe_zlaw

2011-12-18 09:31:37 AM

Eerily Familiar: Steve Zodiac: I thought the reason was that Apple bought a company to get the rights to the software, and that company had named the product Siri. So Apple didn't name it Siri, they just didn't rename it to something else when they bought the voice recognition company.

The company was in fact called Siri, and to take it back one further step, the company Siri was named that because the software is a spin-out of SRI International. Big fail on part of the article writer and Slate's editors. One little trip to Wikipedia or a few minutes googling, and they could have saved lots of embarrassment. They could just as easily rewritten the article as describing why Apple kept the name Siri.

while you were on wikipedia, I was reading the article. They talk about SRI international. Big fail on your part, could have saved lots of embarrassment.

Wert789

2011-12-18 09:33:30 AM

The person you should be asking is a marketing expert. That name was researched and focus grouped thoroughly before it was adopted.

GlassHouses

2011-12-18 09:34:59 AM

" The name of the year isn't necessarily the most popular name of the year. (Those leaders, like Jacob and Isabella, tend to be traditional, familiar, and slow-changing...."

Or they are from a stupid movie about sparkly vampires

BizarreMan

2011-12-18 09:44:38 AM

Our first RADAR detector was named Walter, the second one Harold. The GPS in the phone is Janet, as in "Damn it Janet, where are you telling us to go NOW!"

Je5tEr

2011-12-18 09:47:47 AM

I don't know anyone who has named their GPS, although some have heard to refer to it as "the biatch in the box".

buckler

2011-12-18 09:48:10 AM

I'm just pleased that Google is going to name its competing project "Majel", after Majel Barrett-Rodenberry, who performed the voice of the Computer in Star Trek: The Next Generation. I think it would be great if they could use samples of the Computer voice from the show to create a vocaloid for the application.

buckler

2011-12-18 09:48:49 AM

"Roddenberry", of course.

GBB

2011-12-18 10:00:36 AM

BizarreMan: Our first RADAR detector was named Walter, the second one Harold. The GPS in the phone is Janet, as in "Damn it Janet, where are you telling us to go NOW!"

I named my GPS voice Jane just so I could yell "Jane, you ignorant slut" whenever it gives me bad directions or doesn't know where something is.

GBB

2011-12-18 10:03:42 AM

GlassHouses: " The name of the year isn't necessarily the most popular name of the year. (Those leaders, like Jacob and Isabella, tend to be traditional, familiar, and slow-changing...."

Or they are from a stupid movie about sparkly vampires

t2.gstatic.com

Remember, like, a few years ago, every other boy was named Jason, and the girls were all named Brittany?

apoptotic

2011-12-18 10:10:04 AM

Je5tEr: I don't know anyone who has named their GPS, although some have heard to refer to it as "the biatch in the box".

My parents' GPS came with a name. When you turn it on it says "Hello, I'm (I've forgotten the name), where would you like to go?". They did a 6 week road trip across America last spring and every time they called to check in I got to hear about whatsername's efforts to get them lost.

Terrified Asexual Forcemeat

2011-12-18 10:10:40 AM

buckler: I'm just pleased that Google is going to name its competing project "Majel", after Majel Barrett-Rodenberry, who performed the voice of the Computer in Star Trek: The Next Generation. I think it would be great if they could use samples of the Computer voice from the show to create a vocaloid for the application.

Or they could concentrate on making it useful, instead of feeding mindless 1990's nostalgia.

thelordofcheese

2011-12-18 10:10:49 AM

RexTalionis: Steve Zodiac: I thought the reason was that Apple bought a company to get the rights to the software, and that company had named the product Siri. So Apple didn't name it Siri, they just didn't rename it to something else when they bought the voice recognition company.

Yep. This article writer is off basis with wild conjecture.

And padded the fark out of it. I didn't even finish SKIMMING it.

Benjimin_Dover

2011-12-18 10:12:17 AM

hew_r: Iris backwards

iRis.

Fixed.

tedbundee

2011-12-18 10:17:28 AM

Apple didn't name Siri.

/thread

Roxy Monoxide

2011-12-18 10:20:49 AM

hew_r: Iris backwards

This.

someahole

2011-12-18 10:22:10 AM

poe_zlaw: Eerily Familiar: Steve Zodiac: I thought the reason was that Apple bought a company to get the rights to the software, and that company had named the product Siri. So Apple didn't name it Siri, they just didn't rename it to something else when they bought the voice recognition company.

The company was in fact called Siri, and to take it back one further step, the company Siri was named that because the software is a spin-out of SRI International. Big fail on part of the article writer and Slate's editors. One little trip to Wikipedia or a few minutes googling, and they could have saved lots of embarrassment. They could just as easily rewritten the article as describing why Apple kept the name Siri.

while you were on wikipedia, I was reading the article. They talk about SRI international. Big fail on your part, could have saved lots of embarrassment.

Given the way the article hand-waves away the notion that the product could possibly only be a play on the name of the company that created it, I have a feeling that the paragraph where SRI is mentioned was actually added by Slate's editors. Laura the author, seems to be more interested in discussing baby naming than what actually happened. Siri just seems like a convenient excuse to discuss naming strategies.

buckler

2011-12-18 10:25:43 AM

Terrified Asexual Forcemeat: buckler: I'm just pleased that Google is going to name its competing project "Majel", after Majel Barrett-Rodenberry, who performed the voice of the Computer in Star Trek: The Next Generation. I think it would be great if they could use samples of the Computer voice from the show to create a vocaloid for the application.

Or they could concentrate on making it useful, instead of feeding mindless 1990's nostalgia.

Oh, still incredibly useful, just with the voice to go with the name. Eh, maybe someone will make it a pet project. Not that it's important; I'm just happy to see the tech advancing. One thing I am wondering about: my understanding is that Siri acts as a vocal interface to the Wolfram Alpha knowledgebase. I would assume that Google is going to use...Google. It'll be interesting to see the real differences in performance, accuracy and range of ability. I haven't used Siri, but I have poked around Wolfram Alpha a bit. It behaves kind of strangely in my opinion, but useful in many cases. Maybe more exposure to it would help me out.

taoistlumberjak

2011-12-18 10:30:31 AM

I'm sorry, a two page article about why they named an Apple app what they named it? I think there's better use of bandwidth, like watching the latest fight at Denny's on youtube.

PsiChi

2011-12-18 10:31:25 AM

InfrasonicTom: drink me: Or, it could be that it's just Iris backwards, who happens to be messenger of the (Greek) gods. Siri is messenger to us mere mortals.

No, it's because it's Silly in Japanese

WIN

PsiChi

2011-12-18 10:34:15 AM

buckler: "Roddenberry", of course.

www.onhuge.com

captjc

2011-12-18 10:36:45 AM

hew_r: Iris backwards

img851.imageshack.us

I figured it was a bad joke involving a malfunctioning super computer. I was probably reading too much into it.

1macgeek

2011-12-18 10:40:18 AM

I am so glad the MSM has layers and layers of 'professional' fact-checkers that give them a leg up on those uppity bloggers.

Yet, when articles like this see the light of day, the MSM is completely baffled as to why the public doesn't trust them anymore, and thinks the entire journalism profession is peopled by buffoons.

Rhomboid Goatcabin

2011-12-18 10:42:40 AM

Anyone remember Eliza?

apoptotic

2011-12-18 10:47:07 AM

Rhomboid Goatcabin: Anyone remember Eliza?

That was before my time, but I remember Holly.

Nothing To See Here

2011-12-18 10:47:35 AM

Because all the other Four Letter Words have been taken . .

Gimme The Busket

2011-12-18 10:48:20 AM

I have a good friend named Siri. She is typically one of the nicest people I have ever known. The release of the 4S has made her life a living hell. Every person who hears her name is inclined to ask her a question in a very douchebagesque manner. Now she seems to get more use out of her middle finger than ever.

Zizzowop

2011-12-18 10:54:01 AM

The article did mention the SRI International roots, however you had to read through half of it before you found that out-should have been in the first or second paragraph. Aside from all that, who cares.

/still don't have an iPhone

Skarekrough

2011-12-18 10:54:32 AM

It's the Indian equivalent of "Bob."

It work about as well as it too.

/nerdobscure

buckler

2011-12-18 11:01:35 AM

captjc: hew_r: Iris backwards

[img851.imageshack.us image 300x300]

I figured it was a bad joke involving a malfunctioning super computer. I was probably reading too much into it.

Oh, man. What is that? Is it a real product, and where does it come from if it is?

Plain Brown Rapper

2011-12-18 11:07:35 AM

So... who can find the extra six characters in this headline that are useless padding? Hint: it's the So... at the beginning.

/pet peeve
//just getting worse

noit

2011-12-18 11:19:06 AM

Plain Brown Rapper: So... who can find the extra six characters in this headline that are useless padding? Hint: it's the So... at the beginning.

/pet peeve
//just getting worse

I count eleven useless characters in the beginning of that headline. Just look at it.

Head_Shot

2011-12-18 11:29:32 AM

Barakku

2011-12-18 11:33:11 AM

Eerily Familiar: Steve Zodiac: I thought the reason was that Apple bought a company to get the rights to the software, and that company had named the product Siri. So Apple didn't name it Siri, they just didn't rename it to something else when they bought the voice recognition company.

The company was in fact called Siri, and to take it back one further step, the company Siri was named that because the software is a spin-out of SRI International. Big fail on part of the article writer and Slate's editors. One little trip to Wikipedia or a few minutes googling, and they could have saved lots of embarrassment. They could just as easily rewritten the article as describing why Apple kept the name Siri.

Slate throughly enjoys being full of shiat: Link (new window)

ZMugg

2011-12-18 11:33:56 AM

buckler: captjc: hew_r: Iris backwards

[img851.imageshack.us image 300x300]

I figured it was a bad joke involving a malfunctioning super computer. I was probably reading too much into it.

Oh, man. What is that? Is it a real product, and where does it come from if it is?

Yes, yes it is. It's the IRIS 9000. (new window)

taurusowner

2011-12-18 11:35:51 AM