What happens when you place the naming of your fresh ship/football stand/space station to the people? They start being silly,of courseNever trust the public. Just look at the governments they elect. The clamour to name the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)’s fresh polar research vessel Boaty McBoatface in an online poll has been so mighty the website has sunk with all hands. When final seen, it was ahead of the second-most-popular name, and Henry Worsley,by several leagues – and increasing its lead at a rate of knots.
There are two standard responses to this collective silliness: delight at the British people’s Pythonesque mocking of authority; and despair at our refusal to take anything seriously. In truth, social media’s in-built anarchism means it is now nearly impossible to hold any sort of online vote without it hitting an internet iceberg.
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Source: theguardian.com