boingboing.net — Phil Belanger, a founding member of the Wi-Fi Alliance who presided over the selection of the name "Wi-Fi" writes: "Wi-Fi doesn't stand for anything. It is not an acronym. There is no meaning."An interesting letter about how "Wi-Fi" came to be, and what you should be telling people that ask you what it stands for.
Nov 8, 2005 View in Crawl 4
Closed AccountNov 8, 2005
dugg for the comments!!!
orangetideNov 8, 2005
DVD is a good name. Digital Versatile Disk. Maybe you haven't been to the store, but there are a lot of DVD Audio disks there. CD doesn't have the word Audio or Video in the name either, they can be used for Audio, Video or Computer storage.Wi-Fi really does mean nothing. Not only was the name originally selected from a list without really applying any literal meaning to it. The later made up name "Wireless Fidelity" also is meaning list.I try to avoid using the word "Wi-Fi". Since it's just marketing speak.
kamikidNov 8, 2005
For anyone who didn't read the article a company named iterband(sp?) was hired to create the name, they created some catchy names and created wi-fi. but some corporate asshats couldn't understand branding so they had to attach a name for it, something like "The standard for wireless fidelity"
conedude13Nov 8, 2005
Why call it Wi-Fi when it doesn't mean anything? Why park in your driveway and drive on a parkway? Why eat applejax when it doesn't taste like apples? Why ask Why? Try Bud Dry? There are a million and one questions out there that have words in them that have absolutly no bearing on whatever product they are on. But, I do know this for sure, that if you keep poking and proding the subject you will soon realize that you are unwraveling the fabric of time and space. So tread carefully my friends, tread carefully.
Closed AccountNov 8, 2005
Remind me of TWAIN, that stand (really!) for Technology Without An Interesting Name! :D
m0lariaNov 8, 2005
omfg i am l33ter than all otherz and must now spr34d teh truth of wifi across the intarweb in a holy d1git4l crusade!Seriously though, who cares?
oepapelNov 8, 2005
"Furthermore, it is easy to see that the definition for the word "Fidelity" can be applied to the work that a wireless device (i.e. an electronic device) does in reproducing the 802.11 signal through the air (i.e. accuracy in detail)."WI-FI applies to a subset of 802.11 and is always "through the air". Therefore all you just said that WI-FI is good at reproducing WI-FI. There is no signal conversion therefore there are no fidelity issues.WI-FI by it's own admission is not a standards body or a quality assurance body. They don't even address fidelity. They address compatability. They exist for the purposes of promoting interoperability among vendors and for marketing the technology. Nothing more. They don't even DO fidelity tests. Why should they? They are marketers first and foremost.The ironic part of the name WI-FI is that until 802.11 started using OFDM and the newer MIMO technologies, the signal was actually comparatively low quality especially at a distance or in buildings with metal or concrete construction.
jasqwertyNov 8, 2005
And how clueless are you dude, some guy writes something on boingboing and you BELIEVE it's a quote from the real guy? He doesn't cites where he got it, did one of the founders email this guy? Here I can do it toGod, you know, the guy in the sky writes: PathDaemon is a gigantic douche nozzle, and stop killing each other damn it
grizNov 9, 2005
Interesting....try this link...<a class="user" href="http://www.wirelessfidelity.com">http://www.wirelessfidelity.com</a>Takes you to the Wi-Fi Alliance. Yea, um, no confusion about this branding.Something tells me they don't actually care to destroy that myth so much.
grizNov 9, 2005
Oops, almost forgot. Check out the "What is Wi-Fi" quote..."Wi-Fi®, or Wireless Fidelity, allows you to connect to..."<a class="user" href="http://www.wirelessfidelity.com">http://www.wirelessfidelity.com</a>
jashobeam5May 25, 2008
Since when did Apple Jacks stop tasting like apples? It is sweetened with apple juice and does taste at least slightly like apples.
jashobeam5May 25, 2008
VHS was the first invention where you could easily view movies at home. Before, entertainment meant hooking up a reel to reel. So, for those of us who were alive before its invention, it make sense. VHS tapes were amazing in their day as you could actually watch popular movies at home. That was back when most of us used rabbit ears and got about 3 stations. I still remember the jokes on TV about how no one could program their VCRs so they would stop blinking 12:00. Honestly, those who were so unable to program their VCRs now have cellphones that are 100 times more complicated. I was a kid, but I used to set the time on our VCR after the power went out during storms.